Second Chance
by NJ Coffee Queen
Summary: A chance encounter reunites Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy. R&R.
1. Chapter 1

Hey all! I own nothing, but the idea. Enjoy!

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Day 1**  
Lines furrowed Hermione Granger's brow as she bent over stacks of proposals and contracts and case studies. The tip of her quill stuck in her mouth as the words blurred and her eyes crossed. She dropped the quill and scrubbed her hands over her tired eyes. The door to her office opened and closed quickly. She looked up to find nothing out of the ordinary.

"I need to sleep more," Hermione mumbled to herself. Picking up the ink-dipped quill, she went back to work. The tinkling sounds of laughter startled the young witch, who dropped the quill and looked up to find a little, blonde-haired girl of about four or five standing in front of her desk.

"Hi!" the little girl greeted her.

Hermione's hand flew to her hard pounding heart. "Hi," she replied. "You scared me. Who do you belong to?"

The small blonde shrugged. "My daddy, I guess," she replied.

"Do you have a name?" Hermione inquired, standing up and walking around the desk to stand by the child.

"Cassie," she answered.

Hermione reached for her little hand. "Let's go find your dad." Cassie slipped her hand inside Hermione's as someone knocked on the door and quickly turned the knob. Draco Malfoy stuck his head in and sighed.

"Of all the offices to run away to, you pick this one," he muttered as Cassie giggled. She detached herself from Hermione and ran into his arms.

"Nice to see you too, Humphrey Bogart," Hermione grumbled. Draco looked up quizzically. "Casablanca," she explained, though the look on Malfoy's face didn't change. "Nevermind. Is she yours?"

Draco nodded proudly, smiling at his little girl. "She's all mine. I'm sorry she bothered you, Granger."

Hermione waved a dismissive hand. "It's fine, she was no problem." Draco smiled at Hermione and picked Cassie up, intent on leaving his former schoolmate alone. "So, Cassie, huh?"

The tall blonde turned around. "Sorry?"

"Is Cassie short for something? A certain constellation perhaps?" she guessed.

"Cassiopeia," Draco told her. Hermione laughed. "Some habits are hard to break."

"Well, I should get back to work," she said, receiving a nod from Draco.

"We'll let you get back to it then," he replied. The door closed behind them as Hermione settled back behind her desk. Her latest proposal for house elf rights sat directly in front of her, her eyes looking but not focusing on the document. She found her thoughts roaming to Draco and the child who called him daddy. The quill in her hand fell to the desk as she sighed in frustration. She stood and walked over to her office door, opening it to reveal Ginny Weasley-Potter chatting with her secretary.

"Hey Mione!" the redhead greeted her.

"Did you know Draco Malfoy had a kid?" she asked.

Ginny snorted. "Who would let him have a kid?"

"Well, it's not like the Ministry controls that kind of thing," Hermione retorted. She turned to her secretary Laura and asked, "Right?"

Laura shrugged, but laughed along with Ginny. "His little girl just burst into my office, and she's adorable. Very un-Draco, by the way. And then just seconds later, in walks Malfoy with a smile on his face. Very un-Draco, by the way also."

"Hmm, I wonder who the mother is," Ginny pondered. "I know he was with Pansy for a long time, and then one of the Greengrass girls. Astoria, I think."

"He wasn't wearing a ring," the brunette threw in.

Ginny laughed heartily. "You don't need a wedding ring to have a baby." Hermione scowled at her best friend and huffed. "Okay, so are you planning to see him again?"

Hermione furrowed her brow. "Why would I see him again? I didn't even know he worked here until ten minutes ago." She turned and walked back to her office.

"What about lunch?" Ginny asked, smiling when she turned back around.

"Oh, sorry, today's not a good day," Hermione replied. "Too much work to do."

It was well after ten o'clock when Hermione stumbled drowsily through her front door. Her flat was dark, and she felt her way to her bedroom. Her eyes were closed as she pulled off her clothes and threw on pajamas before slipping into bed. Her hands reached for the blankets, throwing them back just enough to slip under them. As her head hit the pillow, a deep slumber washed over her.

Flashes of blonde hair flew through her subconscious mind. Giggles resounded, echoing with glee. Hermione tossed and turned as a little face entered her dreamlike vision. It was the face from this morning, the face of Malfoy's daughter. Hermione smiled as Cassie ran and skipped and giggled before jumping into her father's arms. Malfoy smiled back at the tiny blonde in his arms before closing the distance between Hermione and himself.

"Hi, Mione," he greeted her, his smile widening. She imagined her eyes widened just as large at the nickname only familiar when spoken by Harry Potter or Ron Weasley. "It's good to see you again," he added, wrapping an arm around her in a hug.

"She's pretty, Daddy," Cassie said, inching away from her father in an attempt to make Hermione hold her.

"She is," Draco agreed.

"When's she gonna be my mummy?" the little girl asked impatiently.

"Well..." Draco said sheepishly, reaching into his pocket.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for the positive feedback on chapter 1! I have the next couple of chapters written, but I'll spread out my posting. This chapter is a bit longer than I usually write, but I still think it's pretty good if I may say. Keep reading and reviewing and enjoying!

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Day 2**  
Hermione bolted up in bed, panting quickly. The electronic clock on her bedside table flashed a green 5:32. She groaned, throwing her blankets away from her body as she pulled herself out of bed to get ready for work. It was a sluggish morning as the haunting _"when's she gonna be my mummy"_ ran over and over in her mind. After a shower and a quick breakfast, Hermione pulled on her work robes and stepped into the floo. She came out the other side, walking through the lobby of the Ministry of Magic. Her steps were hurried as she reached the lifts that would deposit her at her office in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. As always, she arrived to the office before her secretary and fellow coworkers.

Her day moved as smoothly as every other day. Papers and contracts, lists and proposals were stacked high on the mahogany desk; Hermione looking each and every one over with proper consideration. When a knock sounded on her door, she quickly called "come in" without bothering to look up.

An uncharacteristically ruffled-looking Draco Malfoy hurried into the room, the hand of the little blonde girl tucked inside his own. "Hey, Hermione," he said. "I really hate to do this to you, but Shacklebolt is making the rounds through my department today, and I'm not actually supposed to have Cass here. I don't want to impose, and I know you're swamped here, but would you mind? She's good, I promise. She'll sit and color and stay out of your hair. Please?"

His words came out in a rush of breath and Hermione fought to hold back a laugh. "Yeah, Malfoy, it's no problem."

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you so much. You're a life saver. I really owe you one." He leaned down to kiss Cassie's cheek before opening the office door.

"Sure, Malfoy, whatever you say," Hermione muttered once Draco was gone. She settled back in, once again reading through the proposal she'd been working on before the interruption. The ink on the page blurred, words running into each other. Finally, Hermione set her quill on the desk and turned her sights to Cassie.

As if she could feel the older woman's eyes on her, Cassie looked up and smile. "Hi," she said sweetly.

Hermione chuckled and pushed her chair back. She stood and made her way around the desk to sit on the floor next to Malfoy's daughter. "Hi, Cassie. Does your Daddy do this a lot? Bring you to work with him, I mean."

Cassie shrugged, still carefully bent over her coloring book. "Sometimes."

"Where's your Mum?"

Cassie handed her a yellow crayon and pointed to the sun, silently instructing Hermione to color in the shape. "I don't know," the child replied sadly. "Daddy said she had to go away."

Hermione let it go after that, not wanting to push the child. They colored in silence until the page was filled in completely. As they turned the page to start on the next picture, Draco reentered the office and shut the door behind him.

"Look what we made, Daddy," Cassie said, proudly displaying the colored page.

Draco bent down to their level and examined the drawing. "Very lovely," he assessed. "I think it would look very nice in Miss Granger's office. That is, if you're willing to part with it, Cass."

Begrudgingly, the little blonde pulled the picture from the book and handed it to Hermione. Hermione smiled and accepted it, promising to hang it up as soon as possible.

"Excellent," Draco exclaimed, clapping his hands together once. "It's lunchtime, sweetheart, so we should go now." He began cleaning up the coloring supplies as Cassie waited.

"Daddy, can Miney come with us?" she asked, looking from her surprised father to a stunned Hermione.

Draco blinked a couple of times before clearing his throat. He rose to his full height and eyed the uncomfortable brunette. "What do you say, _Miney_? Care to join an old...classmate and his daughter at the children's park during your lunch break?"

"First off, only the three year-old is allowed to call me that," Hermione started.

"Three going on four," Cassie interrupted. Draco smiled and shushed the little girl, waiting for Hermione to continue.

"I've got a lot to get done today," Hermione continued.

"A break would do you good," Draco countered. "And how can you deny the youngest Malfoy her every wish and desire?"

The brunette huffed. "That's low, Malfoy, even for you."

"Is that a yes?" Cassie asked excitedly.

With a sigh, Hermione rounded her desk to grab her handbag. "It's a yes," she answered to the delight of the three year-old.

The trio exited the Ministry of Magic and quietly made their way to a small park a few blocks away. Once the slide was in sight, Cassie took off, intent on enjoying herself while no other children crowded the apparatus. Draco kept a close watch on his daughter as he guided Hermione to a bench. They settled in, focusing on the children running and playing. Hermione reached into her purse to pull out a sandwich, offering Draco half. Politely he declined, suggesting she offer it to Cassie instead. "She's never had turkey and mustard before," he told her. He kept it to himself that the combination sounded disgusting.

"She's a sweet girl," Hermione commented. A smile grew on her face as she watched Cassie climb the ladder and giggle as she slid down, touched the rubber matting, and ran around to the ladder again.

"Shocking, isn't it?" he asked, voicing what she was thinking. Hermione's eyebrows rose and her mouth opened as if to refute. "I know it's shocking. You don't have to disagree. Sometimes I still don't believe that she's mine. And maybe she isn't, but I love her anyhow."

Hermione shook her head. "She has your ears. And eyes. And the blonde hair. The sunny disposition must be her mother's though. Speaking of mothers-"

"Astoria Greengrass," Draco told her. "We started dating about a year after the war. A year after that, she got pregnant and I proposed. I thought I was doing the noble thing by asking her to marry me, and doing the noble thing herself, she accepted. Things went well right up until Cassie was born. I chalked up the vase to the head and the arguments to hormones. A month after the baby, though, I came home from work to find Astoria gone. There was a note from her in the bassinet. She'd found someone else who she wanted to be with, and didn't want the burden of a child holding her back."

Hermione exhaled slowly. "Do you hear from her at all?"

The blonde shrugged. "She's come around maybe twice. She sends little gifts for her birthday and Christmas, sort of to remind her that she's got a mother. Cassie doesn't seem to care that much though."

That line from her dream played through her head again._ "When's she gonna be my mummy?"_ Hermione shook her head to clear her thoughts. "I'm sorry you've had to go through all of that."

"I'm sorry I've just dumped four years worth of issues on you," Draco replied with a laugh. Hermione shrugged and waved off his apology. Cassie ran up to them at that moment, tugging Hermione's hand.

"Come play," she urged. Draco's hands reached around the small girl's waist, pulling her to him.

"It's time to eat," he told her, settling Cassie on his lap. Hermione held out the sandwich half for Cassie to examine.

"What is it?" she asked. Her head turned to look up at her father. "There's no peanut butter. Or jelly."

"It's turkey. You'll like it," Draco replied. "It's Hermione's favorite."

Cassie looked at it once more before reaching out for it. Slowly, she bit into it and carefully chewed. Her nose wrinkled, and with her mouth full she spoke, "Daddy, I don't like it." She handed the sandwich to Draco and hopped off his lap.

"Don't be insulted. She won't eat anything that isn't peanut butter and jelly," Draco explained.

"I wasn't," Hermione assured him. "When I was younger I'd only eat Cheerios. My parents would buy a box, and I would walk around the house with it until it was empty. Wouldn't share with them either."

"That's an only child quality I knew and loved until I actually had a child," Draco replied. He smiled proudly when Hermione laughed along with him. He cleared his throat and called Cassie back from the slide. "We should get back to work."

Hermione groaned, not looking forward to returned to the windowless office. "I was just starting to enjoy the sunshine," she declared as Draco stood, lifting Cassie in his arms.

"Daddy, can I color in Miney's office again?" Cassie asked as they walked back to work.

"No, sweetheart," Draco replied. "Hermione has a lot of work to do this afternoon, and we've already imposed on her enough."

"I can be quiet though," the little blonde argued.

Draco laughed. "No, you can't."

"Well, I do have work to do, but how about in an hour you bring her by my office? She can color and you can have some time to get your work done in peace," Hermione offered.

"Are you sure?" Draco murmured low enough for only Hermione to hear. The brunette nodded, a bright smile on her face. "Hermione, I don't want to-"

"You aren't imposing," she countered. "I offered. Accept it, Malfoy."

They walked back to her office in silence. Laura looked up as the trio arrived and smiled, greeting Draco with a slight nod of her head.

"See you in an hour," Draco murmured, nervously shifting the child in his arms.

"See you later, Malfoy," Hermione replied with a smile. She waited until he was out of earshot before speaking again. "This has been a strange morning."

"Are you dating Draco Malfoy?" Laura inquired, crossing her arms over her chest.

Hermione laughed incredulously. "Me? Dating Draco Malfoy? That's crazy."

Laura rose an well manicured black eyebrow. "He likes you," she pointed out.

The brunette shook her head, but refused to look at the hazel eyed secretary. "We hated each other. Since we were eleven years old, all we've done is snipe at each other and insult each other. One time, in fourth year, he cursed me until my teeth grew down to my chin. And then when I was trapped in his family's manor in what should have been my seventh year, he stood by and watched as his aunt tortured me for information."

"I don't seem him pulling out a wand or sicking a deranged, Voldemort-loving aunt on you now," the raven-haired witch replied. "And I doubt he's trying to lull you into a false sense of security to make you like him only to have him...I don't know, turn you over to rogue Death Eaters intent on taking up where Voldemort left off."

Hermione's eyes widened. "I hadn't even thought of that last part. What if that's exactly what he's trying to do? Maybe Cassie isn't even his."

"Are you suggesting that Draco Malfoy stole a child and Imperio'd her into believing he's her father just to get to you?" Laura asked.

Hermione thought this over. "No, that seems like a lot of effort for Malfoy. But he's just so...different," she muttered. "I'll be in my office. There's so much to do." Without waiting for a reply from Laura, Hermione turned, entered her office, and closed the door behind her. The office depressed her - the papers that covered every square inch of the desk's surface, the windowless walls, the lit fireplace that offered only a dim amount of light. Then her eyes landed on the picture she and Cassie had worked on prior to their lunchtime outing. She smiled, thinking about the motherless little girl who tagged along to work with her father.

Letting the picture fall back to her desk, Hermione picked up her quill and set to work. An hour later, she heard a knock at the door and welcomed whoever it was in.

"Miney!" Cassie yelled as she ran into the office, around the desk, and into Hermione's unsuspecting arms. Draco ambled in quietly watching the scene unfold before him. He smiled when Hermione caught his eye.

"You're sure about this?" he asked.

"Go back to work, Draco," Hermione chided. He hung back, watching his daughter settle down on the floor next to Hermione's desk. The brunette turned and looked at him, one eyebrow raised curiously. His hand rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"You're sure?" he asked again.

Hermione laughed. "Yes, I'm sure. Now stop stalling and go."

Slowly, he backed up toward the door. His hand reached for the doorknob when Hermione spoke again. "Draco, do you want to work in here?"

The blonde smiled. "I'll be right back."

He returned minutes later and all three settled down to work. Draco occupied the small leather sofa for the better part of an hour until Cassie, deciding it was nap time, fell asleep with her head in his lap. "Well, so much for work," Draco murmured, lovingly smoothing back his daughter's blonde locks.

Hermione pushed back her chair and rounded the desk. As she neared Draco, she suddenly began to wonder what she was doing, and if it was too late to go back to her seat. But his eyes locked on hers, and Hermione had no choice but to join him on the couch. She perked on the edge of the cushion, pretending to read over the work he brought with him.

"Is there anything I can help with?" she asked, focusing her gaze on the papers, and only the papers.

Draco just shook his head. "No, plus I could use a break now anyhow." Hermione could feel the intensity of his gaze settle upon her, and knew her cheeks were beginning to pink. He cleared his throat, causing Hermione to finally look up at him. "Cassie really likes you."

Hermione smiled. "I really like her," she responded. A shy grin passed between them before silence claimed them.

The former Slytherin ran a nervous hand through his slicked back blonde hair. Sitting next to Hermione Granger made him nervous for some unfathomable reason. It wasn't an emotion he often experienced, and he wasn't a fan of it. Again, as she looked back down, he cleared his throat. A small smile danced on his lips when he had her attention once again. "After lunch, Cassie and I were talking. She asked if you would come to dinner tonight. The little devil even offered to cook for us." Hermione laughed heartily at the thought. "But since she's three and can't reach the counters or use knives yet, I thought I could prepare us something."

A wry smile crossed Hermione's face as one brown eyebrow piqued interestedly. "Draco Malfoy can cook?"

The old haughty, self assured Malfoy look returned to Draco's face, reminding Hermione of the boy from their school days. "I make the best peanut butter and jelly sandwich you'll find around here."

"Says who?" the brunette challenged with a small chuckle in her voice.

At that moment, Cassie rolled over and swung her arm into Draco's stomach. "Says the three year old who just assaulted me," he replied, wincing from the sudden blow. "Even when she's asleep she knows when people aren't paying attention to her."

"She is a Malfoy," Hermione retorted. Draco, for a moment looked insulted, and Hermione feared that she said something wrong. But then he grinned and nodded, adding a touche to his laugh.

"So, what do you say, Granger?" he asked. "My place tonight after work? If you're lucky, Cass might even let you read her a story. Does that sweeten the deal?"

Her hand flew to her heart in mock joyful surprise. "Well, when you put it that way how can I resist?"

Draco shifted Cassie's head to rest on the couch, causing him to scoot closer to the witch beside him. "Good, then it's a date," he replied, noticing Hermione's inflamed cheeks. "Now, get back to work, Granger. I'd like to leave at a reasonable hour."

Hermione rose from the small kitchen table, plate in hand, and crossed to the kitchen sink to deposit the dirty dish. "So when you said peanut butter and jelly sandwich, you meant peanut butter and jelly sandwich." She leaned her back against the counter and watched as Draco a triangle of sandwich off his daughter's plate.

"I am nothing if it honest, Granger," he replied around a mouthful of food.

Hermione laughed. "Yes, honesty, the trademark quality of any good Slytherin," she stated facetiously. Draco smirked at this, and rose to gather the remaining plates from the table. Silently, he walked over to the sink and bumped his hip against Hermione's to move her.

"I would have made something better, but this," he gestured between the both of them, "was such short notice," he explained, keeping his voice low.

"It's fine, Malfoy," she returned, letting her hand linger on his forearm. It wasn't until he winced that she removed it, remember the symbol of his past that was indelibly branded on the arm.

Draco turned and looked back at Cassie. "Bedtime, little miss," he told her.

"Can I have a story?" she asked sweetly, dismounting her chair. Draco looked from his watch to Hermione to Cassie before nodding his approval of a short story. Cassie squealed with delight and turned to Hermione. "Miney, can you read?"

Draco laughed uproariously, but quieted down when both women glared at him. "Yes, I can," Hermione answered kindly. "And I would love to read to you tonight." As the pair disappeared to Cassie's room, Draco finished what little clean up was left and wandered into the living room. He turned on the wireless to listen to the evening's Quidditch match and wait for Hermione.

"She's asleep," Hermione reported, standing in the doorway between the living room and the hallway. Draco nodded and closed his eyes. "I should get going. I'll probably need to get into work a bit earlier tomorrow if I'm to expect any visitors."

Draco opened his eyes and set his sights on her. "Cassie isn't coming with me tomorrow. Daycare."

"Oh," Hermione said dejectedly. "Well, still. See you tomorrow?" Draco nodded and closed his eyes again. When he opened them she was gone.


	3. Chapter 3

**Day 3**  
Draco sat behind his desk when an interdepartmental memo flew into the room. He groaned, knowing no good could come of reading it. Slowly he unfolded it to reveal a quickly scribbled note from Hermione Granger. It was a very polite invitation to join her for lunch. Again Draco groaned.

He couldn't be sure how or when they had come to be something just slightly more than acquaintances. Cassie was to blame, he thought mirthlessly. If she hadn't run into Granger's office two days ago, he wouldn't be debating spending an afternoon together with his former enemy.

A knock sounded against the door, and Draco hurried scribbled "noon" before charming it back to Hermione. "Come in," he called. Though he instantly regretted the invitation when he saw who it was.

Astoria Greengrass strode confidently into Draco's office. She was tall and thin with long blonde hair that cascaded down her back. As usual she was dressed in the latest fashions and wore the highest heels. "Hello, Draco," she greeted him casually. He grimaced when she spoke; he always had. She had a way of making everything she said sound flirtatious, and it annoyed him.

"Astoria," he nodded curtly. "Good to see you. It's been at least eight months since we've seen you. Right on schedule."

She continued further into the room, approaching Draco's desk in a few long strides. "Now, Draco, don't be that way," she pouted her full red lips as she spoke. "Can't a mother miss her child?"

Draco snorted derisively. "A mother can," he agreed. "So what are _you _doing here?"

Astoria placed a hand over her heart and said, "Really, Draco, your words wound." She moved around his desk to stand beside his chair. He turned away, refusing to make any sort of eye contact. Astoria sighed impatiently and continued on. "I want to spend a day with my daughter. That's why I am here, Draco, to ask your permission."

Draco pushed his chair back and turned to look at her, surprised by her confession. He still remembered the day she left as if it were yesterday. "Still seeing the bloke who hates children?" Astoria shook her head. "What is you really want with _my _daughter, Astoria?"

"_Our _daughter needs a mother," Astoria argued. "I'd like to be around more often."

Draco hung his head and sighed. "Don't you think I know she needs a mother? I raised her on my own. I taught her to talk and walk and use the loo. That was all me. You left. You ran away to Paris or Australia or wherever it was, and all I got was a note saying 'sorry, this parenting thing just isn't for me'."

Neither party would make eye contact. Astoria kept her eyes trained on the floor while Draco closed his and rubbed the tension building in his temples.

"Please Draco," she pleaded softly.

With a sigh, his gray eyes reopened. "I'll have to discuss this with...Hermione." At that moment, she was walking through his door. Her brown eyes widened at the sight of Draco and the blonde.

"Oh, sorry," she said. "I can come back later."

Draco stood and walked over to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Please, just go along with this," he whispered in her ear. She nodded ever so slightly and Draco kissed her cheek. "Hermione Granger, this is Astoria Greengrass."

"As in...?" Hermione asked quietly.

Draco nodded, the good mood that had lit up his face when Hermione entered having disappeared. "As in." They both turned to see Astoria look Hermione up and down as if appraising her.

"So," Astoria said, a hint of malice in her voice. "You're the one Draco wants to discuss my child with? Really, Draco, you could do so much better than Harry Potter's best friend."

Suddenly, Draco's arm tightened around her shoulders, and Hermione feared for the woman in front of them. She wound her arm around his back and rubbed soothing circles over his shirt. His grip loosened, but not enough to provide Hermione any comfort.

"I will think about it, Astoria, and will let you know," Draco finally said, regaining his composure. "Now if you'll excuse me I have work to do."

Astoria huffed and brushed past Draco and Hermione, knocking into Hermione's shoulder and, subsequently, Draco's hand. When Astoria was gone, Hermione moved out of his grasp, intent on leaving as well.

"No, stay," Draco said, remaining in the same spot. He sounded tired and upset, and Hermione could think of no place else to be at the moment. She locked the door to avoid any further interruptions and took a seat on the sofa. Once she was settled, Draco finally moved to sit beside her.

"She seemed lovely," Hermione stated breezily. "Really quite the charmer."

Draco sighed and leaned his head back against the couch. "She wants Cassie," he grumbled, resting his forearm over his eyes.

Hermione moved closer, placing a comforting hand on his arm. "Can she do that?" she wondered. She could sense his fear, having come to see the love he had for his little girl over the last two days.

Draco shrugged and moved his arm away from his face to look at her. "I don't think she's looking to keep Cassie. Astoria hasn't got that kind of attention span. She just seems to want to be a part of Cassie's life all of a sudden." He pushed himself off the sofa and moved over to the desk. He began to gather his things to go home.

"Where are you going, Malfoy?" Hermione asked worriedly.

"Home," he said hurriedly, "I'm picking up Cass for that bloody daycare, and we're going home." He rounded the desk as he slipped his coat on. Hermione stepped in front of him to block his path.

"Malfoy, it's ten in the morning," she pointed out. "You can't leave yet. Besides, it won't change anything. Don't get ahead of yourself here. Just talk to Astoria, Malfoy."

"Stop calling me that," he bellowed. He blinked rapidly as she backed up. He pulled in several deep, calming breaths before he stepped closer to her. "I'm sorry. I'm just...please, it's Draco." He reached for her, and Hermione allowed him the comfort he so desperately desired. Draco pulled her to him in a tight embrace. His left hand cupped her head. "I'm sorry. I don't expect you to forgive me for all the rubbish I put you through. And while I don't expect you to just forgive me for it all, I need a friend right now."

Hermione reached her arms around Draco's neck and hugged him. "You've got one." The pair remained in the embrace, Draco clutching fistfuls of her work robes in his tense hands, for longer than two friends should have. But neither one wanted to be the first to break the contact.

"May I please pick up my daughter now?" he asked quietly, his breath warm against Hermione's ear. Brunette curls brushed his cheek as Hermione pulled back. She nodded her head and allowed her arms to slip down from his neck. But Draco continued to hold on. "Will you come with me?"

Hermione's eyes widened; she hadn't been expecting that. Although, the past three days were one big unexpected turn and surprise. Without thinking it through as deeply as one would have expected from Hermione Granger, she nodded briskly. "You tell your boss and I'll tell mine."


	4. Chapter 4

**Day 8**  
It had been a long five days since Hermione had seen Draco last. He hadn't come back to work, hadn't sent word that everything was alright, and hadn't been around to take her floo calls. If she hadn't known better, Hermione would have believed Draco was ignoring her. She shook the thought from her mind. He wouldn't do that. They were friends now.

"Morning, Hermione," Laura greeted her tiredly on an early, dreary Monday morning. Hermione grumbled a reply and continued toward her office. "Something wrong? Something that has to do with Draco Malfoy?"

With a sigh, Hermione stopped her pace and turned back to Laura's desk, propping herself on the edge. "We hugged this epic hug five days ago, and he gave me this speech about how he wants to change because he was such a...a...an ass in school. And he seems to want me in his life, but that was five days ago, and I haven't heard a word from him since."

"You hugged?" Laura said, a humorous raise in her eyebrow.

"Epically," Hermione reiterated dreamily, as the moment replayed in her mind for the thousandth time.

Laura laughed a high lilting laugh. "You've got it bad for Draco Malfoy. So very, very bad."

Hermione hopped off the desk and guffawed. "I do not like Draco Malfoy. I have a great deal of respect for him. He's raising that little girl all on his own, and he seems like he truly has made an effort to change. He touched me and didn't run off to wash."

"You like him," Laura said again, more adamantly this time.

"Oh, do your work," Hermione grumbled as she walked into her office and shut the door. She leaned her back against the door and hung her head. She genuinely missed Draco. Several times a day she caught herself staring at the door or window, willing a message to come, some word that things were fine. The vibration of a knock on the door startled her and she quickly turned to open it.

"Miney!" Cassie yelled, bursting through the door. Draco strode in slowly as a smile crested on his face. Hermione looked away at the sight of Draco, causing the smile to disappear.

"Someone missed you," he drawled, coming up to stand beside her as she watched Cassie make herself comfortable in the desk chair.

A low, unenthusiastic sound was produced in Hermione's throat as she continued to watch the little blonde-haired girl. "I missed her too."

Draco clasped his hands behind his back. "And what about me?" he inquired, a familiar smirk playing on his lips.

The brunette wheeled around to face him. "What about you?" she asked, keeping her voice low enough so Cassie wouldn't hear. The grin disappeared from Draco's face and was replaced by guilt. "Did you get my letters?"

"I did," Draco confirmed.

"And?" she asked exasperatedly. "Did you ever consider maybe replying to one of them?"

Draco looked over Hermione's shoulder to where Cassie colored on Hermione's desk. Sure that she was distracted enough to pay no attention to the adult conversation, he focused on the short brunette in front of him. "I thought about it, but I wasn't sure what to say," he explained. "Astoria was around for a bit of it. I thought it would be better for her to spend time with Cassie with myself around. So that's where I've been."

Hermione sighed and closed her eyes. "Friends mention these things to each other," she stated. "Or was that a lie just like 'I have to discuss it with Hermione' was?"

Draco ran his hands up and down her arms, hoping she saw it as comforting. "I'm sorry. I really am. She just showed up at my house on Thursday, and Cassie should see her mother."

Hermione stepped away from his hands and moved toward her desk. She began to clear away the papers around Cassie's coloring books to avoid crayon marks on official documents. "How was your Mummy, Cass?" she asked, watching Draco from the corner of her eye.

"S'okay," Cassie mumbled, too intent on her picture to expound. "She buyed me a bracelet, but Daddy said I can't have it."

"Bought," Draco corrected her as he settled himself on the sofa. "And it's a Greengrass family heirloom. It's fragile."

Two sets of eyes, one brown, the other gray, snapped over to Draco. "Don't you have work to do, Malfoy?" Hermione asked, a fake sweetness to her tone.

"Don't you, Granger?" he retorted, mimicking the put on voice. Her eyes narrowed at him, and Draco wondered which hex she would use if Cassie weren't around. He settled further into the sofa and played with the fringe on a throw pillow just to further her ire. She held up the papers for him to see and scowled. The only place now to work was the sofa. She took the opposite end, placing the throw pillows between herself and Draco, and set to work.

"Daddy, is it lunch yet?" Cassie asked, looking up for the first time from her coloring. "Can Miney come too again today? I like when Miney has lunch with us."

Draco laughed. "Sweetie, it's only nine, and you just had breakfast half an hour ago."

The little girl wiggled down off Hermione's chair and came over to stand in front of her father. Her lower lip formed a pout. "Daddy, I'm bored," she whined.

"Cass, I have to get my work done," Draco countered.

Hermione pretended she wasn't paying attention, but muttered under her breath, "Then go back to your own office and do it."

But Draco heard and stood up to leave. "We're going back to my office now, Cassie," he said, lifting the little girl effortlessly. He turned to Hermione, any sign of humor gone from his face. "We'll stay out of your hair, Granger. No need to worry about us intruding any longer."

Hermione watched as the Malfoys exited her office, Cassie waving goodbye as they went. It was quiet for the first time all morning, and Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. She worked through the morning with few interruptions, and hadn't even realized it was lunchtime until the rumbling in her stomach grew louder. She set her quill down and pushed away from the desk, preparing to go to lunch.

As she gathered her belongings, Hermione's thoughts drifted back to the morning. It had been rude to unceremoniously kick Draco out of her office, and she felt the need to make amends for that. She strode out into the main area to let Laura know she was leaving and then made her way to the lifts. The elevator was crowded and moved slowly; neither of which Hermione was in the mood for. Finally, they reached the Atrium, and Hermione breathed a sigh of relief.

That was when she spotted the Malfoys. Cassie looked to be animatedly chatting her father's ear off as he carried her through the throngs of people who were making their way outside. Hermione followed, noticing the smile on Draco's face as Cassie spoke and the wince he produced when her foot collided with his stomach. Hermione watched as they crossed to the little park across the street, and she followed a few paces behind. When they reached their destination, her cover was blown.

Draco set Cassie on her feet, and the little girl promptly turned to look behind him. A smile reached her whole face as she squealed, "Miney!" Draco's brow furrowed as he too turned back to look, catching sight of the curly-haired brunette with the embarrassed red face.

"Umm, hi," she said sheepishly as she got closer. Cassie ran toward her, wrapping her arms around Hermione's legs.

"What are you doing here?" Draco asked nastily. Hermione, who had bent over to return Cassie's embrace, straightened herself back up. She kept one hand on the little girl's hair and with the other held up the brown paper bag that contained her lunch. "And there aren't a million other places in London for you to eat your lunch today?"

Hermione detached Cassie's arms from her legs and sent her over to the playground. She took a step closer to Draco, and set her face so it mirrored his angered expression. "First of all, this is a public park, so I'm just as entitled to use it as you are," she spoke in a low, growling voice. "Second, I came here to apologize to you because I felt bad about how I overreacted this morning. But I'm not so sure I'm sorry now. I thought you were different, Malfoy, that you had changed and become a better person. You still care only about yourself though, and I won't stick around for any of it." Feeling she had said her piece, Hermione turned to walk away. But a hand tightened its grip on her arm.

Draco's face was hard, his lips set in a thin line and his gray eyes darker as they squinted to keep out the sunlight. "I have changed, Granger, and you know it. I'm not the one whining that my letters went unanswered. I have a child to raise, and her well being comes first. So, sorry that you felt you ignored, but Cassie is my first priority. Not me, not you, not this stupid job, but Cassie comes first. Deal with it."

He released her arm quickly, and turned back around to move closer to the playground. His pace was slow, for a part of Draco hoped that Hermione would follow. He turned his head slightly around, but saw that she began to walk back towards the Ministry. With a sigh, he hung his head and continued toward his daughter.

The television blared loudly in the living room as Hermione moved around the kitchen preparing dinner for one. The noise was her only company, and she felt lonely for the first time in ages. She thought about calling Harry or Ginny to have dinner, but felt in the mood for a pity party. The timer on the microwave beeped three times, signaling that her frozen meal was ready. Hermione removed it and peeled back the plastic, and deciding that frozen meatloaf looked disgusting, promptly threw it away. In its place, she reached into the freezer for the pint of chocolate ice cream and grabbed a spoon.

The opening scenes of _Casablanca_ were queuing up on the screen and Hermione made herself comfortable. Ten minutes in, and the ice cream abandoned for the layer of frost that had settled on the top, some annoying creature knocked incessantly on her front door. She had managed to ignore the knocks, turning up the volume a little more each time.

"Granger, I know you're in there," she heard over the din of the television. Her fingers fumbled for the pause button before she threw back the afghan that covered her legs. Quickly, she bounded to the front door and turned the locks. On the other side, stood an irate Draco Malfoy with a large paper bag in his arms.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, keeping the door as close to closed as she could.

"We need to talk," Draco replied impatiently. "And I brought food, so please let me in."

Hermione shook her head and moved to close the door, but Draco stuck his foot between the door and the frame. "Just go home," she pleaded. "I'm tired, and I've already eaten. And don't you have a child who needs parental supervision at the moment?" She opened the door wider to check if Cassie were somewhere behind the annoying blonde git currently occupying her front door. At that moment Draco took the opportunity and slipped inside her flat. "That's not fair, Malfoy. Get out."

Draco ignored her shrill tone and moved over to set his bag down on the coffee table before unloading the contents.

"I'm serious. Go home, Malfoy." He paid no attention, but smirked a little when he heard the door click shut.

"Get out, Malfoy. Go home, Malfoy," he repeated, mimicking her higher pitched voice. He opened up a container of chicken and rice, made himself comfortable on her sofa, and dug in. "Really, Granger, your words wound. Anyhow, I thought we were friends. Friends visit one another."

Hermione's mouth hung open as she tried to comprehend what Draco was saying. In a week's time seven years worth of animosity had disappeared and she thought that Draco had become a good friend. And then today happened, and it all fell apart. Now, he was sitting in her living room, eating dinner, and attempting to figure out how to reanimate the frozen television screen. Draco looked up at her and smiled. She watched as his left hand set his takeout container down and then pat the cushion next to him in a gesture that asked her to join him. Mechanically her feet stepped one in front of the other, and she sighed as she touched down. Satisfied, Draco picked up his container and continued to eat.

"What are we watching?" he asked around a mouthful of rice.

"Where's Cassie?" Hermione asked, her eyes glued to the side of Draco's head.

Draco chuckled. "Torturing her grandparents for the evening," he replied. A smile spread across Hermione's face, alighting her brown eyes as she pictured Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy dealing with a very spirited little three year old. Draco handed her his fork and the container, and Hermione hesitantly took a bite. "It's a good mental image, isn't it?"

"Very good mental image," she agreed as she took another bite. As she ate, Draco fiddled with the remote control, but only succeeded in turning off the TV. He gave an unappreciative grunt and let the control fall to the fall.

"Now what do we do?" he asked as he watched her finish off his dinner.

Hermione shrugged and finished swallowing. "We could talk," was she suggestion. "You said that was why you came over in the first place."

Draco closed his eyes and groaned. He had no idea what they were supposed to say to each other; he'd just used that as an excuse to get through the front door. His head lolled back against the cushions so he couldn't see the bemused expression on the young witch's face.

They sat quietly, each one waiting for the other one to make the first move. Hermione cleared her throat and Draco cracked open one eye to look at her. "What am I? To you, I mean. Are we friends, acquaintances, a sometimes babysitter?"

"Hey, hadn't thought of you as a babysitter. Are you volunteering to watch my little, hyperactive bundle of joy?" Draco joked. Hermione scowled and bent down to pick up the remote. Her thumb moved toward the on button to restart the movie when Draco pulled the contraption from her hand. "Do you think we could be friends?"

Hermione never thought she would hear sincerity in the voice of Draco Malfoy. His gray eyes shone hopefully as she considered her words. "I don't know, Malfoy," she replied honestly, and noticed the crestfallen look on his narrow face. "Friendship takes work. I don't want the kind of friend who uses me to get out of a situation he doesn't want to be in with his ex. I don't want a friend who takes advantage of his adorable daughter to trick me into doing things for him. I don't want to be ignored for days on end while I sit at home and worry that something awful has happened to you."

"I can do that, Hermione," he argued. "For once in my life I want a friend, not a minion. I like spending time with you. You're honest and straight forward. You're never afraid to tell me exactly what you think of me, my feelings be damned. Plus, Cassie loves you, and I know you love her."

"I do, I really do," she interjected.

His next words took a serious turn. "The thing is, for Cass's sake, I can't have someone in my life who's there and then decides they want out. It's not fair to toy with her that way."

"I'm a Gryffindor; we do loyalty really well," Hermione responded, resting a hand on his arm. She held out her free hand to him. "So, friends?"

Draco stuck out his hand, allowing it to connect with hers. "Friends."


	5. Chapter 5

**Day 19  
**Draco stood outside the front door of Hermione's flat, nervous to knock. He heard the jovial laughter coming from the other side, and couldn't bare to ask his favor and bring down her mood.

"Draco Malfoy?"

He spun around, a look of surprised guilt on his face for having been caught lurking outside his former enemy's door. The girl before him looked familiar with her long, white-blonde hair and funny looking earrings, but he couldn't place her.

"Are you looking for Hermione too?" the girl asked, a dreamy quality to her voice.

Draco nodded, and then added, "We're friends."

"Aren't friends lovely?" she asked, raising a delicate hand to knock on the door. Slowly, Draco backed up in hopes that by the time the door was answered he could be gone. But he couldn't leave, and he knew that. The girl turned and smiled brightly at him, wrapping her slender, cold fingers around his wrist to keep him in place.

The door opened to reveal a smiling, laughing, red faced Hermione Granger. "Luna," she greeted her guest cheerily. The smile slipped a bit when she looked behind Luna. "And Draco? Funny, I didn't think you met the qualifications required for a girls' day."

He ran his fingers hastily through his hair, not worried about the state of his precious locks. "I didn't know you had company. I'll just go," he mumbled. He turned to leave, but Hermione closed her door and reached for his arm.

"Draco, what's wrong?" Hermione asked, worry filling her brown eyes. "Is everything okay? Where's Cassie?"

"You always go straight to 'where's Cassie'," he observed, a quiet laugh in his voice. His gray eyes lowered to the fingers that rested gracefully on his arm. They had just enough pressure to assure him that she cared and wouldn't let him go. "Cassie's okay. She's with our neighbor at the moment."

Hermione let go a breath she had not realized she was holding. "Thank goodness. You scared me, Draco." She smiled as she spoke, though, to let him know she wasn't mad.

"I need a favor," he stated. His eyes remained trained on the floor beneath them, and Hermione began to wonder where the prideful Slytherin had gone. Under the fringe of hair she saw his eyes come up slightly to assess her mood. Happy with what he saw, he continued. "Astoria asked to spend the day with Cassie again, but our agreement is that she could not be with Cassie alone. And I'll be there, but I was wondering if you'd come with me."

She pulled back her hand, as if his arm burned her. "Draco, I...no, I can't," she stammered. They both looked at the closed door as an eruption of laughter broke out inside her flat. Draco took a step back, preparing to leave. He needed her. For the first time in his short life, he really, truly needed someone, and he wasn't too proud to let it be known.

"Astoria hates me," Hermione explained, trying to close the gap that formed between them. Draco remained in one spot, curious about her intentions. "I don't know if it would be a good idea for me to be there." She slid her arms around his waist, offering him a comforting hug. Glad for the contact, he held onto her tight.

"I'm afraid of what I might do if I'm around her alone," he whispered his confession.

Hermione moved her head just slightly to look into his face. "Afraid you'll fall in love with Astoria all over again?" she joked. Her smile melted away when she saw the frightful look in Draco's eyes.

"I'm more afraid of what curse I would use on her," he clarified. "And sometimes I'm a little bit afraid that I leave Cassie with her and never come back."

"You don't mean that," Hermione chided quietly. "You can't mean that."

He pulled away and turned around, rubbing the heels of his hands into his eyes. "I don't know. I've raised her on my own for three years, and as much as I love my daughter, I'm angry that Astoria got to enjoy her early twenties while I changed diapers and did midnight feedings. I'm selfish; you and I both know I'm a selfish bastard." He turned to face her once more. "I'm not telling you this to convince you to accompany me. I just needed to get it off my chest."

"You're a really good father, Draco," she said after some time. "You may be young and silly, and yes, sometimes a bit selfish, but I've never seen you this happy before. I used to watch you in school, and everyday it was that same unhappy scowl on your face. You smile now and laugh, and I have to believe that's because of Cassie."

The pair stood in silence, each propped up against opposite walls. Draco straightened up and stepped away from the support. "I'll let you get back to your girls' day," he said. "See you Monday?"

Hermione nodded solemnly. She watched him walk down the hall before she called out to him. He turned at the sound of her voice. "Give me an hour. I'll meet you at your place."

"Hey, little bit, why don't you go see who's at the door," Draco suggested when he heard the knock. Cassie smiled and hopped off the couch to run to the front door. Draco, too, smiled as he watched his daughter's face light up with excitement when she saw Hermione on the other side.

"Miney! Daddy, it's Miney," Cassie cheered, her back to the woman at the door. "Miney's here," she continued to chant in a sing-song voice as she vacated the living room.

Draco rose from the couch and crossed over to the door to hug her. "Thanks for coming. Your friends weren't too mad when you tossed them out, I hope."

"Nah, they just relocated to Ginny's," she replied breezily. "Probably don't even miss me."

"Wow, some friends you have, Granger," he joked. "You should probably reconsider your acquaintances."

"I shall, starting with you," she shot back, but giggled to let him know she wasn't serious. Her reasons for wanting to be friends with Draco Malfoy weren't entirely altruistic. She was attracted to him, and had been for years. It was hard not to be. He was gorgeous, dressed well, kept himself in shape. But she knew she wasn't his type. The mudblood and the pureblood would never be together.

Draco cleared his throat, a smile pulled at the corners of his mouth as she stared at him. "So, Astoria will be here soon. It's a bit cold out to be outdoors today, and I think Cass is starting to come down with something. It's those damn daycare centers. They need to quarantine the sick children so my child doesn't pick anything up."

Hermione patted his arm. "You're a good father, Draco. Weird, but good."

Cassie rushed back into the room holding out a piece of yellow construction paper. "Look at what I drawed, Miney," she said in a rush of words. The littlest Malfoy shook the paper at Hermione before she took it out of her small hands. She held it up so Draco could look at her creation too. In the midst of the scribbles were three distinct figures of varying heights. They were able to discern which was Draco and which was Cassie, but the third figure was a brunette.

"This is nice, Cass," Hermione said nervously.

"It's us, as a family," the little girl replied, stepping closer. "It's Daddy and me and you, Miney."

Draco and Hermione exchanged a nervous look as she lowered the picture. "Why don't you hang onto this for a bit. Maybe put it somewhere safe where you won't lose it," Draco suggested. They watched as Cassie skipped out of the room, her blonde hair swinging behind her with each step.

"That was-" Hermione started

"Really, really strange," Draco finished as Hermione nodded in agreement. "I really have no idea what compelled her to draw that."

"It's fine," she replied uneasily. Just then the front door opened and in walked Astoria Greengrass.

She stopped suddenly, her hand still on the doorknob. "Oh, Draco, you have company," she said, her eyes trained coldly on Hermione. "Will she be leaving soon?"

Draco's eyes shifted from one woman to the other. Hermione's lips were set thin and her eyes narrowed at Astoria. He looped his arm around the brunette's shoulders and pulled her close, genuinely surprised when Hermione wound her arm around his waist. "She's staying, Astoria."

Astoria huffed and flicked her long blonde hair over her shoulder. "Where's my child?" she asked angrily. She crossed her arms over her chest, flashing the diamond ring she proudly wore on her left hand.

"Ooh, pretty," Cassie commented when she returned. "Hi, Mummy."

"Hello, Cassie," Astoria returned formally. "What shall we all do today?"

The little girl looked back and forth between her parents, and shrugged her little shoulders. "I don't know. Daddy said it's too cold to go to the park."

"How about we just stay here, Cass," her father offered. "We'll play and color and have lunch together."

"It'll be fun," Hermione threw in supportively. Cassie shrugged disinterestedly and began to pull out her coloring instruments. She settled herself on the living room floor before setting out four different coloring books and placed the box of crayons in the center. She looked up expectantly at Draco, who quickly joined her. Hermione soon followed suit, taking a seat between Draco and Cassie. Astoria sat on the couch behind them.

"Come down here, Mummy," Cassie requested, putting the yellow crayon back in the box before selecting a purple.

"I'd rather not," she grumbled haughtily. Draco turned and shot a sharp, angry look at his former fiancee. She sighed impatiently and took the empty spot to Cassie's left. She watched as her daughter selected a brown crayon and set to work coloring in the girl in her picture.

Cassie pushed her book closer to Hermione and said, "Look, Miney, I made you."

Hermione blushed and returned the book. "It's lovely, sweetheart. Why don't you make your mummy now," she suggested quietly.

Astoria watched the interaction, completely unamused by it all. "Draco, could we speak in private? Now?"

Draco, startled, dropped his green crayon into the fold of his book and looked up. Astoria stood tall above his seated form, and he realized for the first time just how intimidating she could be. "Oh, right, sure," he said, getting to his feet. He turned to look at Cassie and Hermione, a smile on his face. "I'll be right back. No peeking at my picture." The pair giggled as he followed Astoria to his bedroom.

"Why is she here?" Astoria demanded, her composed, sophisticated tone slipping away. "I don't want her here."

"Well, I do," Draco retorted, returning to the aristocratic, spoiled tone he spoke with as a young man. "These visits with Cassie are a privilege for you, and I reserve the right to put whatever stipulations on them that I want. If it had been the other way around, with me abandoning the two of you, I would expect nothing less."

Astoria sighed and took a seat on the bed. Her arms fell to her lap as she stared at the ring on her hand. Draco remained against the door, wondering what would happen next.

"I'm getting married," she said softly.

"Do you expect me to congratulate you?" he asked snidely. She shrugged, keeping her head down. "We'll send a nice gift, I'm sure. Anything else?"

Astoria sighed and looked up, tears brimming against her lower eyelid. "My fiance can't have children. I used to believe I didn't want them either, that was why I left in the first place. But then to be told you won't have them again, it makes you want them."

"So that's why you suddenly decided to start spending more time with Cassie," Draco said, shaking his head. "I figured there must be some reason."

"It isn't like that, Draco," she responded softly.

"I don't care what it's like," Draco seethed. Her tears went unnoticed; he couldn't bring himself to care that her feelings were hurt. "Look, Hermione and I are friends. I want her in my life, and I need her in my life. And just...the bottom line is you should be around. Cassie does need her mother. But you need to accept Hermione being here."

Astoria sniffed and stood up, brushing away the errant tears that gathered in her sparkling eyes. "Fine, I can do that."

Draco nodded and exited the room, giving Astoria time to collect herself. He walked back to the living room and reclaimed his spot on the floor. "Are you okay?" Hermione asked, resting a comforting hand on his shoulder. He nodded and went back to coloring the pictured he had previously been working on, indicating that the discussion was over. Minutes later Astoria reappeared.

"Mummy, Mummy, look I colored you," Cassie told her proudly, holding up the page. Astoria smiled as the tears reemerged.

"It's very pretty, Cass," Astoria told her quietly, placing a kiss atop her daughter's head.

Draco looked up and took in the moment as an idea formed in his mind. "Hey Astoria, I was wondering something." The blonde turned to look at Draco. "I have plans tomorrow, and it's a bit last minute. What do you think about watching Cass while I'm out?"

Hermione and Astoria both trained their eyes on Draco as if he had three heads. "Seriously?" they both asked.

"Where are you going, Daddy?" Cassie asked sadly.

A smile crested on Draco's face as he turned to Hermione. "I was hoping we could have dinner tomorrow night, just you and me." A deep blush settled in Hermione's cheeks, and could only nod in agreement. "Good, then. So, what do you think, Astoria?"

Astoria smiled nervously. "Sure, it'll be fun." 


	6. Chapter 6

**Day 20**  
Every tick of the second hand alerted Hermione that she was losing valuable seconds before Draco would arrive. She stood in front of her closet staring at the mess of clothes, and decided she had absolutely nothing to wear. Therefore, she would have to get hold of Draco and cancel their date.

Their date.

She was going on a date with Draco Malfoy.

Hermione shook her head. It wasn't a date. Draco wasn't interested in her as anything more than friends. She had concluded that something big must have happened when Astoria Greengrass and Draco left to have a private talk the previous afternoon, but why he felt the need to rope her into their twisted family games was beyond her comprehension.

"Hermione?"

She stood frozen in front of her closet, wearing nothing but her undergarments. The footsteps drew closer, and she snapped herself out of her stupor quickly enough to grab her robe and slip it on.

"Oh, sorry," Draco greeted her sheepishly. He wasn't one to blush, but at the moment he could feel his cheeks heat up in embarrassment. "I thought you would be ready by now."

"Normal people knock and wait to be let in," Hermione admonished, holding her robe closed over her chest. "Normal people don't break and enter."

A humorous grin took over the blonde's face. "And when have I ever been normal?" he asked, taking a few steps closer so he could press a kiss to her cheek. Hermione laughed and continued to stare at her closet. "So, what's the hold up? I thought we agreed that I would come by to pick you up at seven, and that you would be ready by that time."

Hermione sighed listlessly. "I have no clothes," she said.

Draco anchored himself next to her to examine her full closet. "What's all that?" he asked, pointing to the overstuffed wardrobe.

"My clothes," she replied.

"But you just said-"

"I know what I said. What I meant was I have nothing to wear tonight. To dinner." She turned to examine his outfit - casual black pants and a white button down shirt with the top two buttons left open. It was simple but elegant in a way only a Malfoy could pull off. Hermione watched as he stepped forward and reached into the mass of fabrics. He produced a yellow, cotton, knee-length skirt and a white turtleneck. He handed the items to her and pushed her off in the direction of the bathroom. Several minutes later, she emerged and twirled around for Draco to get the full effect.

"Damn, I've got good taste," he murmured, sending her a smile that brought out a blush on her fair cheeks.

"Shoes," she said, pointing to the rack on the floor of her closet. When he balked, she pointed at the floor again, and reminded him that he picked the outfit, and he must complete it. He groaned and bent down to rifle through the collection before pulling out a tan pair of kitten heels. He placed them in front of her for her to step into. "Perfect. I might keep you around just for your styling capabilities."

He resumed his usual posture and offered her his arm. "Is that the only reason to keep me around?"

Hermione thought on that and smiled. She caught a glimpse of them in the full length mirror that hung on her closet door. They did make a beautiful pair. That was a thought she needed to banish. "I have grown rather fond of your daughter," she said as they made their way out of her apartment.

They walked in silence to the restaurant that was located two blocks from Hermione's flat. Draco held her hand tightly in his own, afraid that if he let go she might disappear. He led her into the restaurant, holding the door open for her. When they were seated, he pulled out her chair and kissed her hand before taking his own seat. He watched as she studied the menu, chewing the right corner of her bottom lip as she read. When their waiter arrived, Draco had been so distracted by the beautiful witch across from him that he hadn't even decided on an entree yet. He ordered whatever she had and dismissed the man.

Hermione cleared her throat. "So, is this the first time you've been out since Cassie?"

Draco tipped his head to the side contemplatively. He couldn't remember the last time he had the opportunity to go someplace that didn't have a children's menu. He was having a hard time recalled when he last had an adult conversation without the interruptions of his daughter. "Yeah, I guess it is," he concluded. "She's a hard one to leave."

"Was it awful leaving her tonight?" Draco thought her voice sounded sad as she voiced her question. He reached across the table to where her hand rested, and took it lightly in his own.

"I had good reasons for doing it tonight," he answered cryptically. Part of him expected her to ask what he meant by that statement, but instead she kept her mouth shut. Hermione kept her eyes trained on their joined hands, watching as his thumb moved back and forth over the top of her hand. The waiter arrived moments later and set their food down in front of them. Draco unwillingly pulled his hand back so they could eat comfortably.

Music began to play as they finished eating quietly. Hermione watched couples move slowly on the dance floor. From the corner of her eye she saw Draco rise and move to her side of the table. He held out his hand to her and bowed. "May I have this dance?" he asked hopefully. Hermione blushed and nodded her head, allowing Draco to take her hand and lead her to the dance floor.

_Didn't they always say we were the lucky ones.  
I guess that we were once, babe, we were once,  
But luck will leave you cursed, it is a faithless friend,  
And in the end, when life has got you down,  
You've got someone here that you can wrap your arms around._

Draco wrapped an arm around her waist as his right hand held her left against his chest.Hermione placed her hand on his shoulder as her head rested against his chest.She could hear his heart beat speed up_._

So hold on to me tight,  
Hold on to me tonight.  
We are stronger here together,  
Than we could ever be alone.  
So hold on to me,  
Don't you ever let me go.

"I like this song," Draco commented, using his left arm to pull her closer to his body.

Hermione "hmm"-ed in agreement. She moved her head slightly so her chin rested against his chest. "I have a question."

"I would expect nothing less from Hermione Granger," he replied with a laugh.

"What were your reasons?"__

There's a thousand ways for things to fall apart,  
But it's no ones fault, no it's not my fault.  
Maybe all the plans we made might not work out,  
But I have no doubt, even though it's hard to see.  
I've got faith in us, and I believe in you and me.

So hold on to me tight.  
Hold on, I promise it will be alright.  
Cuz it's you and me together,  
And baby all we've got is time.  
So hold on to me,  
Hold on to me tonight.

Draco sighed, not sure which reason to begin with. He led her to a less crowded spot on the floor, one where they could speak more freely with one another. "Well," he started, "after I spoke with Astoria yesterday I decided that maybe I was being too hard on her. She's a proud woman, and not the type to ask for a second chance. She wants a relationship with Cassie, and I don't want to stand in the way of that."

Their dancing stopped as they spoke, but Draco still held her tightly in his arms.

"Were there other reasons?" Hermione asked, a glimmer of hope in her small voice.__

There's so many dreams that we have given up.  
Take a look at all we've got,  
And with this kind of love,  
And what we've got here is enough.

So hold on to me tight.  
Hold on, I promise it will be alright.  
Cuz we are stronger here together,  
Than we could ever be alone.  
Just hold on to me,  
Don't you ever let me go.  
Hold on to me, it's gonna be alright.  
Hold on to me tonight.

Draco nodded slowly. "I think I like you, Hermione," he murmured.

Hermione's eyes widened and her mouth opened and closed with each thought she banished. __

They always say, we were the lucky ones.  
  
"What do you mean you think you like me?" she asked. She needed him to clarify. She needed to know if the attraction she was feeling towards him was mutual.

He moved her toward the exit, suddenly feeling that the restaurant was too hot and too many people were watching them. When they reached the outdoors, Draco relished the cool evening breeze that whipped around them. He ran a hand through his hair and looked away from her.

"I spent seven years hating you because our backgrounds were different. There were moments when I thought I was starting to see passed that and actually see you for who you were. And then I would remember that we were enemies, and there was a reason I didn't like you. Remember that time at the Quidditch World Cup when the Death Eaters attacked?"

Hermione produced a mirthless scoff. "Right, hide the mudblood," she replied.

He turned to look at her. She didn't look happy. "Yeah, that. I thought I had done a good thing that day. I may have been an asshole growing up, but I've never actually wanted to see anyone get hurt."

Hermione's patience was beginning to wear thing as she listened to his monologue. "Where's this going?" she wondered.

Finally, he stepped closer and placed his hands on her arms. "Where this is going is that I like you, Hermione Granger, and I want to be with you. As more than just friends. Is that...do you think that's something you would want as well?"

"There are things to consider before jumping into a relationship," Hermione said. "I mean, there's Cassie and Astoria to consider. Plus, if Ron and Harry ever found out..."

"I wouldn't be asking if I hadn't taken my daughter into consideration," Draco replied. "I wouldn't have even let you into her life if I didn't think it would work out. She's become awfully attached to you in the last two weeks, and frankly so have I. Everyone else can jump off a bridge is they don't like us together."

Hermione laughed. She felt a small leap in her heart when Draco's arms wound around her waist, pulling her closer to his body. He felt good. She could feel the heat radiating off his skin despite the chill in the air. The hard planes of his abdomen pressed against her stomach as he held her tight in his strong, protective arms.

"You really, truly have changed, haven't you, Draco," she said in awe. Her arms reached up around his neck, her fingers toying with the soft ends of his hair. "I like knowing this Draco."

Draco smiled down at the witch in his arms. "So, you haven't answered my question. Can we be more than friends?"

The smile that had been on Hermione's face slipped away as a thought occurred to her. "What if we broke up?"

"We won't," Draco replied with a simple shrug of his shoulders.

"But we might. It happens to people all the time," she countered. "I don't want to lose you or Cassie. I know we haven't been friends for very long, but I like what we have now."

Draco's arms went slack, falling down to his sides. "So what you're saying is you don't want to be with me? Fine, that's fine. I'll go back in, pay the check, and take you home."

He moved around her, but she reached out for his arm to stop him. "No, Draco, what I'm saying is let's take it slow. We can date and do the things we did as friends. We'll eat lunch together and watch Cassie color on my office floor. But there will be other things we can do as a couple."

"Like kiss you anytime I want," he suggested.

Hermione's eyebrow piqued. "Do you want to kiss me?" Draco nodded, and did just that. He bent his head to close the distance their heights created between them. Her lips were soft and moist from the layer of lip gloss she had applied when they finished eating. His tongue traced her bottom lip, asking for permission, which she quickly granted. The kiss was full of passion and tenderness, the likes of which neither one had felt before. Draco pulled away begrudgingly, and inhaled deeply.

"You can do that whenever you'd like," Hermione gasped.

"Dangerous, dangerous words, Miss Granger," he pointed out. He held her to him and sighed. He had caught sight of the clock tower. "It's getting late. I should get back to Cassie. Grant Astoria the reprieve she must be so desperately wanting right now."

Hermione smiled up at him as he removed his arms from her waist and joined their hands. They began the short walk back to her flat. "I never would have pictured you as the devoted, loving kind of father. I remember the first time we met Lucius. He was so cold and scary."

"I had really great nannies," Draco grumbled. Hermione stopped walking, and as their hands were joined, so did he.

"I didn't mean it to sound insulting," she apologized. She rose on the tips of her toes and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips, which Draco gladly returned.

"I wasn't going to raise my child the way I was raised," he told her. "I have people who can watch her when I absolutely have no choice but to leave her with someone. I love being able to hug her and kiss her and hold her for as long as she'll let me. The words 'I love you, Daddy' melt my heart every time she speaks them. Cassie is the reason I've changed, and I'm grateful for her."

"I am too," Hermione agreed. A look of confusion ghosted over Draco's face. "If it weren't for Cassie we never would have become friends. I wouldn't be standing on a street corner kissing Draco Malfoy if it weren't for a trespassing three year old."

A smirk piqued the corner of Draco's mouth. "Was that an oh so subtle hint for me to kiss you again?"

"Only if you know what's good for you," she replied, pressing their lips together once more.


	7. Chapter 7

Oh, so I forgot to mention in the previous chapter that the song lyrics belong to Michael Buble (or whoever writes his lyrics if it isn't him). Song's called _Hold On._

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* * *

Day 24**  
Harry Potter ambled through the hallways of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. He smiled politely as he passed by fellow Ministry workers as he made his way to Hermione's office. He paused just long enough to ask her assistant, Laura, how her morning was going before entering Hermione's office. The sounds of laughter hung in the air as Harry poked his head into the room.

"Oh, Harry, hi," Hermione greeted him nervously as her laughter petered out. The platinum blonde-haired man on the other side of her desk turned his head to see their visitor.

"Am I interrupting something?" Harry asked coldly, his emerald green eyes trained pointedly on a smiling Draco Malfoy. The smile slipped off the blonde's face as he felt the full weight of Harry Potter's stare. Hermione glanced back and forth between the two men before she cleared her throat and stood to greet her friend.

"No, no. You're not interrupting anything at all," she replied breezily as she pressed a kiss to Harry's cheek. "Draco and I were just discussing something, but we're finished."

Harry eyed his friend's guilty expression and reddening cheeks. She smiled sweetly at him, a hopeful look in her eyes that he wouldn't do anything rash. "How...how are you? Did you need something?" she asked, holding onto his arm. "I really like that shirt on you," she added nervously. Harry's gaze briefly flitted to the hands grasping his arm before they settled on Malfoy again.

"What's he doing here?" Harry asked.

"We were discussing something. I told you that," she replied, the smile on her lips falling.

Harry scoffed. "Please, I heard laughing and you're both smiling like idiots," he said. "Don't belittle my intelligence, Hermione."

This time Draco scoffed, but said nothing further. He rose from his chair and walked over to where Hermione stood with Harry. He eyed the raven-haired man before turning Hermione's chin in his direction. His lips settled on hers as he glanced at a seething Harry Potter from the corner of his eye.

"I'll see you tonight," he murmured after he pulled away. Harry jerked his arm away from Hermione and they watched in silence as Draco exited the office.

Harry rounded on the red faced girl angrily. "What the hell was that?" he demanded, his voice raised with each word.

"He wasn't supposed to do that," she whispered as she moved away from Harry. She rounded her desk and took a seat, pretending to go through the work that was scattered across the surface. When she glanced up, Harry was still in the same spot with his arms crossed of his chest. Hermione sighed. "We've been spending time together."

"What? Like a work assignment? Do you kiss all of your colleagues that way now?" he smartly replied.

Again, she sighed. "We've become friends. I watch his daughter sometimes."

Harry guffawed. "So you're his babysitter?"

"No, Harry, it isn't like that," she argued. She propped her elbows on her desk and rested her head in her hands. With a groan, she began to explain the goings on of the past few weeks. "He's not the same Draco that he was in school, Harry. I swear."

While she was speaking Harry had sunk down on the sofa. He looked at Hermione wearily as she uttered her closing statement. "I trust you, Hermione. You're the smartest person I've ever known."

"Then trust me when I saw that I'm happy with Draco, and that he's a good person," she interrupted.

Harry smiled softly as a mix of pleading and anger graced her features. "I'm not sure that I can," he finally said. "He's a former Death Eater. He tried to kill Dumbledore. He called you horrible names and wished the worst for you."

"And he was a kid back then," she replied exasperatedly. Hermione shook her head, knowing the conversation was going nowhere. "Look, I don't expect to change your mind right now. The least you could do, though, is give him a chance to redeem himself."

Harry slumped further down on the couch until his head reached the top of the cushions. "And how do you propose I do that?" he grumbled.

She hadn't thought that far ahead. Hermione rose from her chair and joined her friend. She reached for his hand, which rested casually in his lap. "I don't know," she replied honestly. "I'm not asking the two of you to be friends, but for my sake if you could just be cordial to one another."

Harry shrugged and they fell silent. "You know he only kissed you like that to make me mad," he said quietly after a minute.

"Yeah, I know," she agreed just as quietly.

"But still you continue to think he's changed?" Hermione nodded emphatically. "I really hope, for your sake, that you're right about him."

Hermione knocked softly on Draco's front door. Nervous energy bubbled inside her stomach as she waited for someone to open the door. She could hear the pitter-patter of tiny, running feet before the lock clicked and the door opened.

Cassie smiled brightly up at Hermione before she turned and yelled for her father. Draco appeared moments later with a dish towel slung over his shoulder and a smile on his face. "You look tired," was the greeting she received.

She followed behind the Malfoys, shutting the door when she was in. "And lovely to see you too, Draco," she muttered under her breath.

Cassie grabbed hold of her hand, pulling her to her bedroom, and all the while chatting about her day. "And then Daddy picked me up from school, and said that if the girls are mean to be again they'll have him to deal with. And then we got home, and Daddy's been cooking. Sketty and meatballs. What's that?"

Hermione glanced down and smiled. "It's not peanut butter and jelly, but you'll like it all the same," she assured the little girl. "Spaghetti is fun to eat."

"It looked like worms when Daddy showed it to me," Cassie replied with a look of disgust. The little girl even went so far as to stick out her tongue.

"Don't make that face. You'll freeze that way," Draco admonished, scaring both girls as he sneaked into the room. Hermione scowled as a smile came to Draco's face. "What? I thought it was funny."

"You scared me, Daddy," Cassie said with a pout. Draco lowered himself to her height level and held open his arms to the little girl. Quickly she moved into them, and Draco closed them around her. "My heart is running, Daddy. Feel it."

He obliged, moving one hand to her small chest. "That is quite fast. I'm sorry, sweetheart." He pressed a kiss to her forehead, and gathering Cassie in his arms, stood. "Dinner's ready." He waited for Hermione to stand and exit the room with them, but she remained seated on Cassie's bed.

Cassie glanced over at Hermione and smiled. "They're not real worms, Miney. They just look like them. You said sketty's good."

Draco and Hermione laughed. He set Cassie down with instructions to wash her hands before coming to the table. When she was on her way, Draco took a seat next to Hermione. "Did I do something wrong?"

Hermione shrugged, refusing to looking in Draco's direction.

"Did something happen today with Potter? Did he say something to upset you? Shall I defend your honor and trounce him royally?" he guessed.

A smile cracked on Hermione's face that she quickly tried to make disappear. "Stop," she warned, bumping his shoulder.

"Talk to me," he said softly, nudging her shoulder.

Hermione sighed and turned her head to face him. "Today when you kissed me in front of Harry, did you do that just to make him mad?"

Draco closed his eyes and leaned back on the bed. "A bit," he confessed. "I did also want to kiss you, and you told me I could whenever I wanted."

"I knew you were going to throw that one back in my face," she muttered.

Draco reached out his arm and caught the back of her shirt, pulling her to him. His arms wound around Hermione's shoulders. "I'm sorry if I caused trouble with you and Potter."

Hermione shifted in his arms to look up at Draco. "No, you're not," she replied with a laugh. He too laughed and agreed that she may be right. Hermione pulled out of Draco's embrace and stood. "We should get back to Cassie."

Draco stood as well, but moved around her to block the exit. "We'll get to her," he said, "but first I want to know what's really bothering you besides me kissing you to piss off Potter."

Hermione narrowed her eyes at the tall man before her and moved to her left to step around him. But Draco countered her move and stepped with her. She shifted to the right, but he again followed. Finally, he leaned his frame against the door. "Just talk to me," he said impatiently. "You can't dodge me forever."

He reached out a hand to her, and when she accepted it, he pulled her into a comforting embrace. "I didn't want Harry or Ron to find out that way," she finally said. "I wanted to be able to tell them in my own time. Harry's going to tell Ron, you know. And I know we've all had our differences in the past, but just, for me, stop being vindictive."

"I'll try, but I make no promises," Draco replied, kissing her forehead. "Sometimes it's just fun to make them squirm a bit."

She slapped his arm, but remained comfortably in his embrace. When the door swung open, Cassie stood on the other side impatiently tapping her foot.

"Hungry, Daddy," she stated dramatically, as if she would soon faint from starvation. Draco pulled away and followed Hermione out of the room, taking her hand as they made their way to the dining room. Cassie settled herself in her booster seat and eyed the couple as took seats on either side of her. With a flick of his wand, the food began to make its way to the table for Draco to dole out. He and Hermione instantly dug in as Cassie poked the meatball with her fork.

"What's wrong, Cass?" Draco asked, looking up from his meal. "Don't you like it?"

The little girl shook her head, loose, blonde curls flying with the back and forth motion. "It looks yucky, and I don't want to eat it."

"I could make you a sandwich, if you'd like," Hermione suggested.

Cassie turned her head and glared at Hermione. "No, I don't want you to," she yelled. She pushed her bowl away with a hard shove, spilling the contents on the table. Draco stood and removed her from her seat, sending her running to her room.

"What the hell was that about?" Draco wondered as he sat back down. Hermione reached for his hand across the table and gave it a little squeeze.

"I'm not sure," Hermione lied, having a feeling that the temper tantrum had something do to with her. "I'll go so you can talk to her. Dinner was lovely." She pulled back her hand and pushed her chair away from the table. Draco stood and walked her to the door. "See you tomorrow," she added, kissing his cheek.

"Yeah, see ya," he replied, watching her go. He closed the door and rested his head against it briefly before going to his daughter's room. His knuckles rapped softly on the door before the knob turned. "Hi," he greeted the upset girl.

"Hi, Daddy," Cassie replied with a pout. She walked away from the door and climbed up on her bed. She put her head down on the pillow, and when her father sat beside her, she rolled over so her back was to him.

"What was that about at dinner?" Draco asked quietly. When the little girl gave no reply, he continued. "Was it the food that you didn't like?" Cassie shook her head as much as the pillow would allow. "Well, I don't know what else it could have been."

Cassie sighed and rolled over. "Daddy, I want Mummy." Her lower lip began to tremble as her gray eyes watered. Once again she turned away from him.

"Okay," Draco admitted defeatedly. "I'll owl her right now." He rose from the bed and exited the room. The unfamiliar sting of tears blurred his vision as he sat down to write to Astoria. When he was done, he attached it to his owl's leg and sent the bird on its way. A tear streamed down his cheek and he angrily batted it away. When he was done feeling sorry for himself, he stood and moved to the living room to open the floo. Minutes later, green flames erupted and out stepped Astoria.

"What happened?" she asked, a slight panic in her voice as she took in his depressed appearance.

"She wants you," Draco answered simply and without emotion. He walked away toward his own bedroom, which was next door to Cassie's room. "If you're up to it, I think she wants to go with you tonight."

"It'll be alright, Draco," she told him as she entered the room. He nodded succinctly and shut his door. He would give Cassie her time with her mother. And while a part of him was glad that she had Astoria to turn to, he suddenly felt like the failure. He crawled into bed, pulling the covers over his head, and for the first time that he could remember, cried himself to sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

**Day 27  
**

He hadn't been to work in three days, and he couldn't be bothered to care. Hermione had owled him twice, but when she received no answer, gave up. Again, he couldn't be bothered to care. Since the night Astoria came to pick up Cassie, Draco had laid in bed awaiting his daughter's return. Twice a day, he received updates from Astoria, and she promised to bring her home soon. The past three days had been spent in bed, with little time occupied with moving around. A grumbling erupted from his stomach, and he pushed back the blankets to find something to eat.

He padded slowly to the kitchen and perused the contents of the cabinets. He thought he heard the front door click open, but paid it little attention as began to assemble a sandwich. As he spread peanut butter on one side of the bread, the floorboards began to squeak. Draco let the butter knife fall to the counter before picking it up again. His wand was by his bedside. Slowly he crept closer to the hallway, knife clutched in his hand. He saw a figure poke its head into his bedroom before turning back around.

"Hermione? What the hell are you doing here?" he yelled when he recognized the intruder.

Her hand flew to her heart as she gasped. "I came to check on you," she replied when she had her breathing under control. Her tone was indignant and she looked hurt that he would ignore her and then attempt to attack her with a peanut butter-coated knife. "Where have you been?"

"Here," he replied, turning back to the kitchen.

She looked him up and down, taken in the rumpled look of the clothes he'd worn when she saw him three days earlier. "What's going on?" she asked cautiously, following close behind him. "Why haven't you been to work, or showered?"

Draco continued to spread the peanut butter thickly on the bread before he started on the jelly. He wasn't in the mood to answer questions, and he wasn't in the mood for a Hermione Granger interrogation. She sidled up on his left side, and from the corner of his eye, he caught the imploring look that twinkled in her brown eyes.

But he didn't want to talk. He didn't want to admit that he drove his child away. He couldn't admit that he suddenly felt like his father. He'd probably die if the words were ever uttered.

"You can't dodge me forever," Hermione whispered when he shifted his body away from her.

"I knew you'd throw that back in my face," he muttered with a mirthless laugh. With the newly assembled sandwich in one hand and the newspaper in the other, he turned away from her completely and took a seat at the table. Hermione joined him, placing herself directly opposite so that if he looked up he would see her. A smirk played on Draco's lips, happy that he figured out her plan.

They sat in silence for several minutes; Draco eating and Hermione watching him eat. The paper rustled each time Draco turned a page, but he never looked in her direction. He listened as she sighed heavily and leaned back in her chair, causing the old wooden legs to creak.

"Don't break my chair, Granger," he warned amusedly as he continued reading.

"Where's Cassie, Draco?" she finally asked, her tone clipped as her patience waned.

For his part, he took his time folding the paper until it would no longer bend. He set the paper on the floor beside his chair and rose to clean his plate. As the water ran, loudly splashing against the basin, he spoke, "Three days ago she asked for her mother. She's been gone for three days, and I haven't see her or heard from her. And I'd really like not having to talk about this, so let's just drop it." Then, he shut off the water.

Hermione rose and walked around the table to stand behind him. She placed her hands on his sides and rested her forehead against his back. "I didn't know. I'm sorry."

The palms of his hands dug into the counter top as he squeezed his eyes shut. "Astoria said she'd bring her home today," he told her when his emotions were in check and there was no longer a threat of tears.

"I should go then," Hermione said as she let go of his waist.

Draco turned to face her, holding tightly to her wrists. "Why?"

Hermione sighed and attempted to free herself. "I think...I mean I can't be sure, but I think seeing us together upset her the other night. She just got her mother back. Maybe she's hoping Mummy and Daddy will be together one day."

"She's three, she can't possibly think that," the blonde retorted moving away from her.

"She's a smart three year old," Hermione argued.

Draco shook his head. "She knows Astoria is getting married. Therefore, there's no chance in hell of us getting back together. And even if there were a possibility, I don't want to be with her. I want to be with you."

"I do too," Hermione agreed, "but you've said it yourself - you and Cassie are a package deal. You have to do what's right for her, and if seeing us together upsets her, then maybe we shouldn't-"

"We're not breaking up," he declared adamantly and angrily. He slumped down on a chair and hung his head.

"I wasn't going to say that," she said softly, coming over to stand beside him. Draco wrapped an arm around her waist and guided her to his lap. "What I was going to suggest is that maybe, for now, I don't come around when Cassie is here. Just until she's comfortable with us being together."

An owl flew in through the kitchen window and landed on the table in front of them. Draco reached out his free hand to accept the letter the bird carried. "It's from Astoria," he said as he opened the parchment and began to read. "She'll be here soon with Cassie." He put the letter down on the table and sighed.

Hermione pulled his arm away from her waist and stood. "I'll be going." She pressed a kiss to his temple. As she reached the archway between the kitchen and dining room, she turned to look at Draco. "Will I see you tomorrow?"

His shoulders slowly rose and fell. "I'll let you know."

She nodded, though he could not see that. "Bye, Draco."

It wasn't long after Hermione left that the front door opened again, and a worried Astoria called out for Draco. Slowly, he rose from his chair and passed through the kitchen to the dining room before making his way down the hallway to the living room. Cassie squealed delightedly at the sight of her father and ran straight for him, wrapping her arms around his leg.

"Hi," was all he said in a quiet, unfeeling tone. Mechanically, his hand reached down and patted the top of her little, blonde head.

Astoria smiled kindly at Draco. "Cass, why don't you go put your things in your room?" she suggested. Cassie pulled away from her father and turned to take her small bag of clothing from her mother. When she was safely out of earshot, Astoria turned to Draco. "You look awful. Have you been taking care of yourself at all?"

Draco moved over to the mirror above the mantle and curiously assessed his appearance. Dark circles had formed under his eyes from lack of restful sleep, and his thin face appeared thinner from lack of nutrition. "I'm fine," he decided in the end. He turned away from the mirror and looked at Astoria again. "Thank you for taking her."

Astoria nodded in response and made herself comfortable on the sofa. "I don't think you're fine. If you want to talk about it, I'm here and I'll listen."

Draco leaned back against the fireplace and sighed. He didn't want to talk to her. He wanted her to leave so he could talk to Cassie. Jealousy bubbled inside of him; she chose Astoria over him. He was grateful that she was back in Cassie's life, but he also resented his child having a second parental option.

"She still loves you," Astoria assured him. "Until the last couple of weeks, you were the only parent she's had for three years. You've done so well in raising her, Draco, you really shouldn't be so hard on yourself."

"Thanks," he mumbled again. Astoria took his terseness as a sign to leave, and she bade him goodbye as she shut the front door behind her. When she was gone, he moved to the couch and closed his eyes. The cushions shifted slightly beside him, and when his eyes opened, he saw a smiling Cassie beside him. She shifted onto her knees, then to her feet, and reached up to kiss his cheek.

"Hi, Daddy," she said to him again. "I'm sorry I made you sad." Draco looked down at the little hand that rested on his shoulder and he immediately swept her into his arms to hold her close.

"I love you," he whispered against her hair. He held her back just enough to see her face. "I need to ask you a question, and I need you to be honest with me." Cassie nodded, so Draco continued. "The reason you got upset the other night, was it because of Miney?"

Cassie wiggled out of his hold and sat back beside him. "Daddy, I don't want you to have Miney as a girlfriend," she replied quietly.

"Even if she makes me happy?" Draco prodded. Cassie shrugged. "Do you want me to marry Mummy?"

This time Cassie shook her head. "No, Mummy's marrying Adrian. He's nice, Daddy."

"But isn't Hermione always nice to you?" he asked. "She colors with you and reads to you. I thought you liked her."

"I want it to just be us like before," she murmured. Draco nodded, understanding her desires. She was an only child, used to being the center of her father's attention. Hermione Granger was competition.

"What happens when you come to work with me? Do you not want to go to her office to play and have lunch anymore?" he asked, hoping she'd see the full effect of not having Hermione in their lives.

"I do."

"You can't have it both ways, Cass," Draco explained. "She can't be your friend if you don't want her around." As they lapsed into silence, Cassie crawled into her father's lap and rested her head against his chest. "You know you're the only girl for me, right sweetheart?"

"I know," she whispered.


	9. Chapter 9

Hey all! Just a head's up that I won't be posting another chapter for a couple days. I'm going on my first business trip! I'm probably more excited about that than I should be. Oh well! Enjoy the chapter!

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Day 33  
**The note sat discarded on the coffee table._It's over_.That was all he wrote. Hermione had received the letter the day Cassie returned home. Her assumptions had been right. For the first time in a long time, she hated being right. When she ran into Draco at the Ministry, he pleaded for their friendship to remain in tact. She had quickly agreed that as two mature adults they very much could stay friends. After all, they hadn't been together all that long, so friendship would be easy. At least, she thought so.

They hadn't spoken since their run-in. She had seen him at various times; sometimes with Cassie and other times without. He could have been avoiding her for all she knew, and it seemed likely given his penchant for avoiding conflict.

"I told you he hadn't changed," Harry gruffly stated, looking at the note once more.

"He did it for his daughter," Ginny countered. "I think that's sweet. I mean, not for you, Hermione, but in general. Sweet."

Hermione rolled her eyes. Harry and Ginny had spent the evening with her every night since the break up. As much as she loved them both, a quiet night all to herself was preferable.

"Have you spoken to Malfoy at all?" Ginny inquired.

Hermione shrugged. "We had an awkward conversation on Monday," she said. "We've decided to try to still be friends, for whatever that's worth."

"Have you thought about dating again?" Ginny asked, leaning forward on the couch to be closer to Hermione.

"Dating who?" Hermione asked guardedly, smelling the set up that was about to come.

Under his breath, Harry mumbled, "Wouldn't anyone be better than Malfoy?"

As both women glared at him, Harry sighed, felt up his hands in surrender, and wandered outside. The early evening air was cool with a gentle wind just beginning to pick up. Harry closed his eyes and breathed in deep. It was nice to be away from the girl talk, even if it was just for a few minutes.

He spotted the blonde as he rounded the corner. Malfoy's pace was fast and nervous, and he looked rather upset. If it were anyone else, Harry wouldn't have rolled his eyes at the sight of the former Slytherin.

"Potter? What are you doing here?" Draco asked, slightly winded, as he reached the front steps that would lead up to Hermione's flat.

"Could ask you the same, Malfoy," Harry replied tersely.

Draco climbed the stairs and made a move to get around Harry, but he blocked him. "I need to see Hermione," the blonde stated impatiently. Harry crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head defiantly. "It's an emergency. Please, Potter."

Harry surveyed Draco, looking him up and down. His tone was sincere and pleading, and a small part of him believed Malfoy wasn't lying to him. With a sigh, he dropped his arms and stepped out of the blonde's way. He turned and watched Malfoy dart inside.

Draco took the stairs two at time. He was in a hurry and there was little time to spare.

"Well, George is single now," he heard Ginny say. "He and Angie are just so wrong for each other."

"I'm not dating another one of your brothers," Hermione replied, bring a small grin to Draco's face. "I learned my lesson with Ron."

"Oh, just try it," Ginny argued. "George is just an all around better human being than Ron."

His hand was on the doorknob, knowing it wouldn't be locked, as Hermione relented. "Fine, fine, tell him I'll have dinner with him tomorrow night."

Two sets of eyes snapped to the door as Draco burst through.

"What are you doing here?" Hermione asked. "Where's Cassie?"

Before he could stop the response from coming out, Draco began to laugh. "Will you ever stop greeting me that way?" he wondered. Hermione rose from the couch, offering Ginny a look of apology, before dragging Draco away by the sleeve. When they were in her bedroom, Hermione shut the door and turned to him.

"So, why are you here?"

Draco took a seat on the bed and rested his face in his hands. He ran them up, pushing his fingers through his hair. "My father is sick. One of my parents' house elves found him passed out this morning, and he was rushed to St. Mungo's," he explained, keeping his eyes trained on floor. "My mother sent an owl. She doesn't know how bad off he is, or if he'll recover. I was hoping that maybe I could leave Cassie with you. A hospital is really no place for her."

"Where's Astoria?" Hermione asked with a bit of a bite in her tone. She was finding it hard to feel sympathy for a man as wretched as Lucius Malfoy.

Draco looked up and turned his head in her direction. "I don't know," he answered. "Honestly, you were the first person I thought to ask." He rose from the bed and came to stand in front of her.

Her eyebrows rose in surprise. Surely, he hadn't overlooked the mother of his child. "Draco, I-" she started, but he cut her off.

"We're friends, Hermione, and friends help each other when one comes begging and pleading to the other."

"Her mother could watch her," Hermione suggested. "Isn't that why Astoria is back in her life?"

Draco's gray eyes stormed over and any hint of trying to be the bigger person was gone. The old, familiar Draco Malfoy sneer took its place on his face as he spoke. "Fine. Fine. I'm sorry I came here and intruded on your little plans. I thought friends helped each other, but I guess we're not friends anymore." He reached for the doorknob and opened the door, stepping out into the hallway. "I guess it really is over," he added bitterly.

Hermione followed, ushering him out of her flat. "Oh, is that your new motto, Malfoy? It's over? You should have that tattooed somewhere. You seem so fond of the phrase," she mocked.

He reached the front door and turned back to face her. "I thought I was supposed to be the cruel one," he said, glowering down at the brunette before him. "I don't care if you decide you hate me, but don't take that out on the three year-old." Then he turned and exited her apartment.

Hermione stared at the closed door, her mouth slightly agape. The sound of Ginny clearing her throat snapped her back into reality.

"Hermione, that was awful," the redhead chastised. "Go after him."

"You want her to apologize to Malfoy?" Harry asked, as if what Ginny suggested was absurd.

"He was asking her to help him with his child, not knock over a bank," Ginny argued. Hermione listened to the volley of the couple's argument. They hadn't even noticed when she sneaked out of the flat.

Draco had reached the bottom of the stairs and was about to start down the sidewalk when Hermione spotted him.

"Draco, wait," she said loudly enough for only him to hear. Briefly, he turned to look at her, but kept walking. He heard her feet pound the concrete as she jogged to keep up with him. "Draco, please stop."

He acquiesced, but didn't turn to face her. He felt her hand on his arm when she caught up to him.

"I want neither your pity nor your guilt," Draco spat, wrenching his arm out of her grasp.

Hermione moved around him, placing her hands on his arms to keep him in place. "You said we weren't breaking up," she said sadly. "You dumped me with two words scrawled on a tattered piece of parchment."

"I did it for Cassie," Draco replied tightly. "She's too young for me to be dating around."

"I understand," Hermione whispered with a nod. "If I may though, I'd like to watch her while you go to the hospital. Friends help each other, right?"

Draco glanced at his right arm, then his left, at the hands that held onto him. Gently he removed them, but held her hands in his. He squeezed them once before letting them go. "You have a date tomorrow night. I'd hate to intrude."

"It's just George. I can cancel." Draco tried to interject, but she continued speaking before he could get in a word. "Let me watch Cassie for you."

Draco nodded in agreement and began walking again. When she didn't follow, he stopped and motioned with his hand for her to join him. They walked in silence as they neared the closest alley from which they could apparate to his house. "I am sorry for the way I ended things," he said softly as they turned the corner. "I don't want us to be over indefinitely."

"Give her time, Draco," Hermione advised. "Maybe she'll come around."

"Yeah, maybe," he replied, though he was unconvinced. He pulled her close as they apparated away. They rematerialized in the living room, right in front of Cassie and an older woman Hermione had never seen before.

"Miney!" Cassie squealed as the little girl ran into her arms. Hermione was startled at the response and quickly let go of Draco to envelop Cassie. "You're here," she added sweetly when Hermione lifted her up.

Draco cleared his throat to remind them he was still in the room. "I'm going to go now," he declared. He bade goodbye to his neighbor, showing her out. He placed a kiss against Cassie's cheek and said, "Be good for Hermione. I want her to tell me only good things when I return."

Cassie leaned away from Hermione towards her father, extending her arms to him. He accepted the child from Hermione and held her close to his body. "Will you be home soon, Daddy?"

"Before you'll even have a chance to miss me," he told her, kissing her forehead. "Although, I fear I miss you already. But you and Miney will have fun while I'm away, right?"

"Lots of fun," Hermione chimed in, stepping closer to lay a comforting hand on Cassie's back.

He threw her a thankful smile and set Cassie down on the sofa. "I'll be at the hospital the whole time," he told Hermione, pulling her aside. "If I have to leave for any reason I'll let you know in case you need to get in touch with me. My owl will be here if you need to get in touch with Astoria; he'll know where to go. Contact me anytime you need to."

Hermione nodded and hugged him. "I hope your father will be alright," she told him, feeling the statement was lame.

"Thank you," he replied, pressing a chaste kiss to her lips. "I'll see you when I get home."

Once he was gone, Hermione sighed a bit longingly and turned back to Cassie. "So, what shall we do first?" she asked.


	10. Chapter 10

**Day 35  
**Hermione awoke as the sun rose to the feeling of a foot kicking her left side. She rolled onto her side to see the peacefully sleeping Cassie stretched out perpendicular to herself. The witch smiled at the little girl and took care to not disturb her as she removed the small feet from her side. They had fallen asleep in Draco's bed the night before; the coloring and story books still spread out around them.

Hermione began to clean up their mess as quietly as she could. When the books were neatly piled on Draco's dresser, she turned to leave the room to make breakfast.

"Mummy, is Daddy back yet?" Cassie asked sleepily, her gray eyes still shut. Hermione froze in her place. Had she heard the child correctly? Was she awake or sleep talking? Slowly, Hermione turned back towards the bed and knelt beside Cassie's head.

"Sweetheart, are you still sleeping?" Hermione asked quietly, smoothing back long blonde girls that swept over the little girl's face as she rolled over.

"No. Hi, Miney," she replied, rubbing her eyes with her fists as she sat up. Her hands fell to her sides as she slid to the end of the bed. "I'm hungry. Daddy makes waffles."

"With peanut butter and jelly?" Hermione guessed, picking Cassie up from the bed. The little girl's eyes widened in delight as they made their way to the kitchen.

"Daddy never does that," she exclaimed. "Will you make them?"

"Sure," Hermione replied with equal enthusiasm. Now she just needed to figure out how to make waffles.

St. Mungo's employed that same sterile, antiseptic smell that all hospitals do. It was clean and brightly lit, and several happy, smiling faces greeted Draco as he sat alone in the waiting room. The Healers had been in his father's room for an hour, and his mother was nowhere in sight. In fact, she hadn't been around since he arrived the day before.

He slouched down in the chair, rested his head against the wall, and closed his eyes. Sleep had been a fleeting and fickle friend recently, and he would gladly accept the few moments of rest that he would receive in the waiting room.

"Mr. Malfoy?"

Draco squeezed his eyes together tighter in hopes that would make the disturbance disappear. When he heard his name again, he knew it hadn't worked. With a groan, he opened his eyes and tried to focus on the healer in front of him.

"How is he?" Draco asked, rising from his chair.

The old man with the thin white hair shook his head. "It isn't good, Mr. Malfoy. We've given him something to help him sleep, but there isn't much we can do."

"Could I-" Draco asked, gesturing toward his father's door.

The healer shook his head. "He's sleeping now. The draught we gave him will keep him sedated for a few more hours. I would suggest you go home, get some rest. Come back in a few hours when he's alert."

Draco extended his hand. "Thank you for all you've done," he said tiredly. The healer shook his hand and walked down the hall to his next patient. Draco sighed and sunk back down into the chair he had previously occupied. His head hung, he considered a world without Lucius Malfoy in it. Scores of people had been terrorized at the old man's hands, Draco included. But he was still his father, and he'd come to be a very doting grandfather for Cassie. Draco knew she would be devastated by the loss.

With a deep sigh, he pushed himself up to leave. He moved slowly through the hallways on his way to the lifts that would take him to the lobby. The familiar glimpse of long, flowing blonde hair caught Draco's eye. Out of the elevator stepped Astoria Greengrass. When she caught sight of him, she quickly made her way to him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I heard about your father, I'm so sorry," she told him, continuing to hold on. "We were here in the hospital today, and I thought you'd be here, so I came to see how you're doing. Where's Cass?"

He pulled out of her embrace and explained everything he knew about his father's failing health. "Oh, and she's at the house with Hermione," he concluded.

Astoria smiled at him. "So things are better between the two of you now?" she asked, receiving a quick nod from Draco. "And Cassie?"

"Wants us to be friends. She loves Hermione, and Hermione loves her."

"So, the blow up last week?"

Draco shrugged, still not entirely sure he had understood the motivation behind it. "I think Cassie thinks she'll be replaced." He glanced down at her and saw a look of guilt cross her face.

"We're meeting with a maternity healer," Astoria told him quietly. "There might be other options for Adrian and I to have children."

Draco snorted and a frown set on his face. "You didn't want the one you already have."

"At the time, did you?" she asked.

Draco took a step back, contemplating the question. She had a point. He was young when Cassie was born, just 21 years of age. Never in his wildest dreams had he thought he'd be a father at that age. But he was, and had stepped seamlessly into the role. "So, what now?" he asked instead of answering her question. "You and your fiance will have your own child, and you go back to ignoring Cassie?"

"Draco-" she tried to explain herself, but he wouldn't hear it.

"No, Astoria. You can't just waltz in and out, especially now that she's been given the chance to get to know you," he yelled, garnering some unappreciative looks from the people around them. He stepped closer to the lifts, but before departing, added, "You should have just stayed gone."

Cassie situated herself behind the potted plant near the door. She giggled softly to herself as Hermione walked back and forth in front of her, but pretended not to see her.

"Cassie, oh Cassie, wherever could you be?" Hermione wondered as she moved to the living room to check for the girl once more. She could hear the tinkling sounds of laughter and knew where to find Cassie, but continued to look elsewhere.

The front door opened before she could continue her charade. Draco stepped through and closed it behind him, ignoring the girl hidden behind the plant. He set his sights on Hermione and determinedly quickened his pace. When he reached her, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her as close as he could to his own body.

"Why is my child behind that plant?" he asked her, feeling her arms encircle his waist.

Hermione laughed quietly. "We were playing a game, and it's her turn to hide. I was looking for her when you came in."

Draco turned his head to look at the plant. "She's behind the plant," he said again. "You're rubbish at this game, Granger."

Again she laughed and tried to pull away, but his grip was too strong. "Draco?"

"Just a bit longer," he whispered.

"Cassie," she murmured, clearing her throat. He turned his head to see the little girl emerge from her hiding spot. They feared she would bolt; that the tender moment shared by the two adults would upset her. Instead, she took three hesitant steps forward before running to her father. Her arms wrapped around the back of his leg and she held on tight.

"I missed you, Daddy," Cassie told him. "Miney and I had so much fun, but I missed you. She puts the peanut butter _and _the jelly _on _the waffles."

Draco removed one arm from Hermione's back and looped it around his daughter. "Well, we'll just have to keep her then, won't we?" he asked, smiling down at Cassie. Cassie glanced up with a smile and nodded. "Why don't you go play in your room so I can talk to Hermione for a bit. I'll be in a few minutes." They both watched as Cassie detached herself and turned toward her room. When she was out of sight, Draco unwound his arms from Hermione's waist, and taking hold of her hand, pulled her over to the sofa.

"What happened?" Hermione asked. In response, Draco groaned, closed his eyes, and let his head rest against the cushion. "Come on, talk to me," she prodded.

He cracked open an eye and looked at her. There was a look of sympathy and concern etched into her features as she reached out to hold tightly to his hand. Draco sighed and turned slightly to face her better. Then he explained the news he'd received from the doctor about his father's dismal prognosis. That had been the easy part to talk about. He was more than hesitant to discuss his conversation with Astoria.

"Something else seems to be bothering you," Hermione guessed, sweeping her thumb back and forth across Draco's hand.

"I don't know, maybe I jumped to conclusions," he replied cryptically.

"Conclusions regarding what?" Hermione wondered.

"I ran into Astoria. She and Adrian were at the hospital to discuss alternative methods for conception," Draco explained. "And I may have gotten ahead of myself. See, when she first came back into Cassie's life, she told me that Adrian couldn't have children. I assumed that was why she wanted to be around."

"And now that there might be a possibility for them to have a child of their own, you think she'll abandon Cassie again," Hermione finished. Draco nodded solemnly. "It's not hard to understand that logic."

"Was she okay for you?" Draco asked after a few moment's silence.

Hermione nodded. "She was great. We played, I cooked, she very kindly didn't point out how horrible at it I am."

At this, Draco laughed before clearing his throat. "I think she's good with us being together," he said, training his eyes on Hermione to gauge her reaction.

"It's too soon," Hermione replied, sadly shaking her head. "You said, just two days ago, that she's too young to see her father dating around."

"But," Draco countered, "dating you wouldn't be dating around. It would be one, solid relationship. We'll go slow for now, warm her up to the idea. She wants you here, I want you here. Don't _you _want to be here?"

Hermione emphatically nodded her head. "I do. I want to be here with you and with Cassie. But, Draco, what if she gets upset about us again? And what if Astoria decides that she doesn't want to be in Cassie's life anymore? Who does she run to then?"

"She's three, she does not run this family. If she doesn't like my decisions, she'll just have to put up with it. No more running away," Draco stated, feeling his anger rise within himself.

"Alright," Hermione consented. "But, just for now, we don't tell her."

Draco laughed. "This can't end well."


	11. Chapter 11

Just wanted to say thank you to everyone who's read my story so far. I always appreciate the feedback I receive. My boss is out today and tomorrow so I plan to get some more writing done. Clearly, her vacation is my vacation. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

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Day 40  
**The post had just arrived as Draco entered the kitchen early in the morning. He patted his owl on the head, took the mail, and fed the bird a treat before letting it fly away. As he went through his morning routine of making breakfast and packing lunches for Cassie and himself, he thumbed through the small stack of envelopes.

An ivory envelope with green trim and writing caught his eye as he pulled a carton of eggs from the refrigerator. Gently, he set them down on the counter top before lifting the flap to reveal its contents. What he pulled out was an invitation to Astoria and Adrian Pucey's upcoming nuptials. Along with the invitation, Astoria had included a short note to Draco, asking that Cassie be her flower girl. She also suggested he bring along Hermione, for comfort's sake. Draco scowled and crumpled up the note before resuming his cooking.

Across town, Hermione was also opening up a letter addressed to her by Astoria Greengrass. She thanked Hermione for looking after her daughter, expressed her appreciation for filling a gap in Cassie's life that she wasn't sure she could ever truly fill, and implored Hermione to help Draco see that she wasn't the monster he envisioned her to be. Hermione stared at the small sheet of parchment, reading and rereading the words.

Before she could ruminate any further, a tawny, large owl tapped its beak against the living room window pane. Recognizing the bird as Draco's owl, she quickly let it in and accepted the note it carried.

_Meet me at my house in ten minutes. - Draco_

Hermione folded the scrap of paper and slipped it into her pocket. She patted his owl on the head, fed it a treat, and sent it on its way. As she grabbed her keys off the coffee table, her eyes landed on Astoria's letter. She picked it up, but set it back down. A part of her knew she had to show it to Draco, but the part of her that wanted to protect him told her to leave it at home. Hermione shook her head and picked it up once more, stuffing it into her pocket.

Hermione exited her flat, locking the door behind her. She made her way out into the crisp, sunny air, and turned left when she reached the end of her block. The alleyway was the perfect place for inconspicuous Apparition. Just to be sure, Hermione glanced around, and upon seeing no one, concentrated on Draco's house. When she opened her eyes, she was on his front walk. The front door opened before she had a chance to knock.

"We were watching from the front window," Draco told her, and though his tone was nonchalant a distinctive blush crept up his neck and into his cheeks. "Cassie's fine, by the way. I knew you were going to ask that. Do you ever worry that maybe I'm the one who isn't alright?"

"Of course I do," she replied, reaching out for his hand. After she gave it a quick, reassuring squeeze, he yanked it back. "What did you need to talk to me about?"

Draco walked ahead, his back straight and his head held high. He led her through the living room where he chastised Cassie for having her feet on the sofa. Then they moved down the narrow hall, passed two bedrooms and the dining room, and ended up in the kitchen. The small, round wooden table was piled high with letters and bills, dishes leftover from breakfast, and a stack of books that looked brand new. Despite the mess, she watched as Draco carefully extracted the invitation from the clutter. He handed it over, and waited impatiently as Hermione read it through.

"Are you going?" she asked, slipping the parchment back into the envelope. A guffaw was his only response. "Are you going to let Cassie be in the wedding?"

Draco shrugged. "She's her daughter too. I can't very well stop her, now can I?"

Hermione frowned, realizing he was right. The letter in her pocket suddenly felt like it weighed a ton. She slipped her hand in, feeling the roughness of the paper and the edges that poked her fingers.

"I received a letter today," she said, slowly pulling it from her pocket. Her hands shook as she unfolded it and held it out to Draco. He eyed it warily, and she shook it at him before he finally accepted it.

"This is rubbish," he muttered when he finished reading. He crumpled up the letter and tossed it in the trash bin. "She shouldn't be contacting you." Draco stepped around her and exited the kitchen. Hermione followed quietly behind him as they returned to the living room. He took a seat on the sofa beside Cassie, and pulled her close to his body. Cassie, had other ideas though. She squirmed out of her father's arms, hopped off the couch, and took a seat on Hermione's lap just seconds after the older woman lowered herself into a chair. Draco scowled at the pair and closed his eyes, letting out a long sigh.

Silence engulfed the room. Awkward, uncomfortable, able-to-hear-a-pin-drop silence. Hermione glanced at Draco, his eyes still closed, before standing and letting Cassie sit by herself. She held her index finger to her lips as a sign to keep quiet. Cassie nodded her understanding. Hermione looked back at Draco once more to be sure he wasn't watching her, and then slipped down the hallway to the kitchen. She fished the parchment out of trash bin, and scribbled a quick note back to Astoria asking that they meet for lunch. The owl sat patiently on the windowsill; honey colored eyes watchful as the brunette attached the note to its leg. Hermione watched as it flew away, hopeful that she would soon receive the reply she hoped for.

"Miney?" The sound of Cassie's voice startled the older witch, and her hand flew to her heart as she gasped. "Can I have juice?"

"Sure, sweetheart," she replied when her wits were about her once more. Cassie seated herself at the table as Hermione filled a cup and placed it in front of her. Her brown eyes went back to the window as she watched the familiar bird approach. The bird landed in front of her, offering the note attached to its leg. She received the answer she wanted and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Everything okay?" Draco asked, entering the kitchen. His eyebrow rose suspiciously as Hermione nervously stuffed the letter into her back pocket.

"Just owling the Ministry to let them know I wouldn't be in today," Hermione replied unconvincingly. "I'm meeting someone for lunch, so I'll head out now."

"It's only ten in the morning," Draco pointed out, crossing his arms over his chest.

Hermione glanced down at her wrist watch, which told her that, in fact, it was only ten AM. She smiled and took a hesitant step closer to him. "It's your day off. You should spend it with Cassie."

"What if I want to spend it with you too?" Draco asked, lowering his voice as a smirk played on his lips.

"Not now," Hermione muttered, glancing over to Cassie who watched the adults with no emotion.

"Fine," Draco relented. "Enjoy your lunch. Maybe you'll come over for dinner though?" Hermione nodded and bade them goodbye.

A feeling of guilt settled in her stomach as she apparated back to her flat to prepare for her lunch. She wasn't sure what she would say to Astoria, or how the other woman would receive her. Two hours later she was seated by the window of a small coffee shop in Diagon Alley. She watched as witches and wizards passed by, talking and laughing and shopping. She feared that somehow, one of these people would recognize her and the meeting would get back to Draco.

A blur of blonde hair whipped past Hermione as the seat across from her was suddenly occupied. "Heel broke," Astoria panted, running her fingers through her locks.

Hermione smiled politely. "Thanks for agreeing to join me." With a wave of her hand, Astoria dismissed her gratitude and called over a waiter. The women sat quietly, eyes darting around the shop, refusing to look at one another.

"So," Astoria said slowly, taking a sip of her new arrived coffee. "We sent out our wedding invitations. I asked that Draco bring you."

"He mentioned that," Hermione confirmed quietly. Astoria nodded, her lips pressed into a tight line as her face betrayed no emotion. "So, listen, the reason I wanted to talk you...I want to help. Draco has this fear that you're...a fear of abandonment. I think if he had some kind of reassurance from you, that you want to be around for Cassie, maybe he wouldn't be so afraid."

"And how can you help?" Astoria asked.

Hermione sat back in her seat pondering the question presented to her. "Maybe if you and I put up a united front, if you had someone supporting you on this, it would be easier for you to stay around. Draco's changed so much from the boy I knew in school. Cassie's responsible for a lot of the good I see in him, but you are too."

Astoria snorted in a rather unladylike fashion, and she covered her mouth with her hand. "Sorry, that was rude," she replied as Hermione laughed softly. Astoria regained her composure and spoke again. "All I did was run away. Draco's given me my second chance already, and I mucked that up. He's not going to give me a third."

Hermione glanced at the sad and forlorn look that crossed Astoria's unblemished, beautiful face. She wanted to understand this woman, to trust her. "You made him grow up," Hermione pointed out. "You made him see that there are other people in this world besides himself. Leave Draco to me. If you want another chance with Cassie, I want to help."

Astoria smiled as her blue eyes flooded with tears she wouldn't allow to fall. "Thank you, Hermione," she whispered.

Hermione nodded. "There's just one thing I need to know," she said, pushing away from the table to stand.

"What is it?" Astoria asked.

"That day in the hospital when you spoke to Draco, was he jumping to conclusions about you leaving again? Or do you still want to be here for Cass even if you and Adrian do have a family of your own?"

"I want to be here," Astoria replied, pulling herself up to her full height. "Even if Draco doesn't me to be."


	12. Chapter 12

**Day 45**  
It was a knock on the front door that awoke Draco at far too early an hour. He could have ignored the knock, would have ignored it, had it not been for the plucky, wide awake, three year old who bounded into his room and jumped up on the bed.

"Daddy, someone's at the door," she cried, bouncing on the mattress. "Is it Miney? Is she coming to play today? Daddy, get up!"

Draco pushed back the blankets and got out of bed. "It's not Hermione," he muttered as Cassie chattered on excitedly. "She's smart enough to know not to come by this early." He padded down the hall, dragging his feet, as Cassie skipped along beside him. When they reached the door, Draco opened it to reveal Astoria on the other side. "See, Cass, told you it wouldn't be Hermione." He let go of the doorknob and turned away towards the kitchen.

"Hi Mummy," Cassie greeted her enthusiastically. She held her arms open wide for her mother to lift her up. Once she was in her mother's arms she astutely detected Astoria's disappointment. "It's okay, Mummy, Daddy will be happy when he's had his coffee."

"I hope so," Astoria murmured as she moved towards the kitchen with Cassie in her arms. They entered, just loudly enough to make their presence known, but Draco refused to turn around. Astoria watched as he moved around the kitchen - making coffee, getting breakfast ready for Cassie, receiving the daily post from his owl. She had had enough, and cleared her throat loudly.

"What do you want?" he asked angrily, finally turning to face her.

"I wanted to talk," she replied pointedly.

"Now isn't a good time," Draco stated, speaking through clenched teeth as he neared his former love. "Mrs. Casini from next door is coming over to watch Cassie while I go to visit my father, and hopefully convince my mother that she needs to see him before he dies. What you want our daughter to wear to your wedding is pretty far down on my list of priorities."

Astoria took hold of his arm and pulled him away from prying ears. "That's not what I wanted to talk about, and if you let me talk longer than ten seconds, you'd know that," she admonished, keeping her voice down. When she was sure she had his full attention, she continued. "I don't want my marriage or future children to get in the way of my relationship with Cassie. You can't keep me away from her."

"Try me," he growled in response.

Astoria breathed in deeply, trying to keep her temper in check. "Let me take her for the day. Give your old neighbor a break," she suggested. A sly grin spread on her face as a thought occurred to her. "Where's Hermione? Why isn't _she _watching Cass?"

"Not jealous, are you?" Draco sneered. "Maybe just a little, right? Maybe you're just the smallest bit upset that I would choose to leave my child in the care of someone I spent years hating? Because I trust my enemy more than I trust the mother of my child?"

"Is Hermione really still the enemy, Draco?" Astoria wondered. "Because whenever we've spoken, she seems to be under the impression that the two of you are practically altar-bound yourselves."

Draco's cold gray eyes narrowed as she spoke. "And when have you and Hermione found time for girl talk?"

"Why, just the other day we met for coffee," Astoria replied breezily, waving a dismissive hand. "She loves you. You can just see it in her eyes and her cheeks fill with color at the mere mention of you."

"Astoria," he warned.

Cassie poked her head out the kitchen door and stared at her parents. "Daddy?" Draco turned and looked down at his daughter. "I'm hungry, Daddy."

"I'll be right there, Cass," Draco told her with a smile.

"But Daddy, now," she whined.

"I'll be right there," he replied, clenching his teeth through his smile. "Please wait in the kitchen for me."

Cassie sighed dramatically and rolled her eyes, but retreated back to the kitchen. Draco leaned against the wall and ran his hands over his face.

"She's mine too, Draco," Astoria said, softly placing a hand on his bicep. "Let me take her today."

He shook her hand off of him and opened his eyes. "Stay away from Hermione," he demanded. "Stay away from Hermione, and stay away from me. I may not be able to legally keep you from Cassie, but you will leave us alone."

As Draco began to walk away, Astoria tried a new tactic. "She sought me out. She's the one who offered to help me."

He whirled back around to face her. "I saw the letter you wrote her. If she wants to help you that's her business, but leave me alone."

As he made his way to St. Mungo's to visit his father, Draco found himself outside of Hermione's apartment building. He was tired of being the coward, unable to face up to his fears. Part of him feared a confrontation with Hermione Granger. He'd seen her mad, many times at him, and he always feared her reactions. She wasn't the enemy now as she had been in childhood.

An old woman walked by, eying Draco suspiciously. It wasn't everyday that strange men stood outside of apartment buildings in the cold. He took it as a sign that it was time to put one foot in front of the other and talk to the girl. Once he was inside, he took the steps two at a time until he reached the third landing and her door. When he knocked the first time, there was no answer so Draco knocked three more times.

"Draco? What are you doing here?"

He turned around to see a bemused Hermione standing behind him with a bag of groceries in her hands. Instinctively, Draco reached out to take the bag from her. He said nothing as she inserted the key into the lock and opened the door, allowing him to go first.

"I need to talk to you," he said finally as he put away the groceries. "It's about Astoria."

"Go on," she said when he said nothing else.

"You can't trust her," Draco said. "Maybe it's a Slytherin thing; we're untrustworthy."

Hermione reached out for his hand, lacing her fingers through his. "I trust you. Should I not trust you?"

Draco laughed. "Maybe not. But, if there's one thing I know, Astoria never has altruistic reasons for doing what she does. I'm telling you this, knowing you probably won't listen to me anyhow, but it's for your own good. I'm just looking out for you,that's all."

Hermione stepped closer and wound her arms around his waist. They stood silently, wrapped up in one another's presence. "What brought this on?" she suddenly asked. Her chin rested on his chest as she peered up into gray eyes that betrayed no emotion.

It was a rising of color in his cheeks that caused her to smile though as he spoke, "I kind of, umm, ya know...you."

Hermione pulled her bottom lip between her teeth to keep from laughing. "I kind of, umm, ya know you too," she admitted. His shy smile dissolved into a look of lust as he captured her lips in a hungry kiss. Her mind fogged over as his lips caressed their way down the column of her neck. "Draco, stop."

"Why?" he murmured as he moved up to claim her lips again.

"Kitchen...unsanitary activities," she squeaked out dumbly as she sunk into his kiss once more. It took all her focus and energy to push him away, placing a hand on his chest to maintain some distance. "We can't do this. Not right now, at least."

"Why not?" Draco asked petulantly. "You're my girlfriend. Shouldn't I be allowed to kiss my girlfriend? You said yourself that I could kiss you whenever the mood struck. It's striking now."

A small laugh escaped Hermione. "I don't want you kissing me when Astoria is on your mind," she clarified.

One hand came up from her waist to rest on her cheek. "I promise not to again," he whispered, kissing her forehead. He held her close for awhile longer. "I have to go see my father today."  
Hermione nodded, and slowly, begrudgingly pulled away.

"Come with me," Draco said, catching hold of her hand. Hermione nodded and smiled.

They laughed as they held hands and walked up the front path to Draco's house. A smile lit his face when the curtains parted in the living room window, and a tiny blonde face peered through. Instinctively, his pace quickened at the sight of his daughter, as it always did whenever he was away from her for too long. Hermione noticed and walked faster to match his pace. From the corner of her eye she saw the reason for his change of speed and gave the girl a small wave. She slipped her hand out of Draco's as he opened the door, entering just ahead of her. Cassie ran over and launched herself into her father's open arms.

"Hi, Daddy," she greeted him tiredly. "I missed you. Me and Mummy played, but she's not as good at making my dolls talk as you."

"Mummy?" Draco asked, looking back worriedly at Hermione before refocusing his attention on Cassie. "I thought Mrs. Casini was watching you."

Cassie shrugged, laying her head down on Draco's shoulder once he lifted her up. "She was, but Mummy told her she could go home. Mummy said she was tired."

Draco's expression hardened as he moved further into the small house. "And where is Mummy?" he inquired tightly.

"Right here," Astoria answered calmly, coming down the hallway to greet them.

Draco glared at her before turning to Hermione. "Take her," he murmured, holding Cassie out to her. Hermione obliged, carrying the little girl to her bedroom. When the two girls were out of sight, and Draco was sure Hermione enchanted the room with a silencing spell, he rounded on Astoria. "When I tell you my neighbor is watching Cassie, I expect to come home to find my neighbor watching Cassie."

Astoria shrugged, gracefully dropping onto the sofa. "She looked tired. I'd hate to see the old bat fall asleep while watching _our _child. Who knows what that could have led to."

"If you think you deserve my gratitude, you're sorely mistaken."

The blonde woman scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Honestly, Draco, tone down the theatrics."

In a flash Draco stood over her, hands on either side of Astoria's head. He could see the trepidation in her cold, blue eyes. "Let me make one thing perfectly clear," he spoke, looking her straight in the eye. "Until you start raising Cassie on your own, you will not make decisions regarding her life. You will not undermine me. If I choose someone to watch her, that person watches her. End of discussion."

Astoria nodded, trying to keep a cool composure. Draco pushed away, straightening to his full height. Both heads turned at the sound of a door opening and clicking shut again. Draco took a few short steps towards the hallway to see Hermione exiting Cassie's room.

"Cass fell asleep," she informed him when she neared. "I hope that's alright."

Draco nodded to assure her it was fine. "Astoria was just leaving," he said, continuing to look at Hermione. Then he turned to the blonde. "Weren't you, Astoria."

"Right, yes," she replied, a hesitant smile playing on her lips. "I'll speak to you soon."

When she was out the door, Draco moved to sit on the couch, Hermione following closely behind him. "What was that all about?" she asked, cuddling into his side.

His arm looped around her shoulders and he sighed. "I think I need to speak with my attorneys. That woman is more conniving than I've given her credit for."

Hermione was worried. "What are you going to do?" Though she wasn't sure she truly wanted to know.

"I need to get full custody of Cass."


	13. Chapter 13

**Day 60**  
The Ministry offices were silent as Hermione made her way to her small corner of the wizarding world's governing body. It was the first Sunday in a long while that she had been able to catch up on the excess of work that piled up during her hectic work weeks. She longed for the peace and quiet; a rare find now that the Malfoys were a fixture of her life.

The mountains of paper were to be expected. The knock on her door half an hour after arriving had not been. She issued a startled "come in" as she shuffled around the work so as to see the door more clearly. A slight groan bubbled in her throat when she saw Astoria enter. The blonde looked as breezy and gorgeous as ever, despite the recent turmoil in her life. Neither spoke until Astoria took the seat in front of Hermione's desk.

"I need to talk to you about Draco," Astoria stated, her tone soft and pleading. She produced a thin, blue folder, playing with it for a few seconds before placing it on the desk. Hermione shot her a questioning look before picking it up. As she read, Astoria continued to talk. "He's filing for custody. I don't know if it means that I'll never be allowed in daughter's life, or if it's up to Draco to decide. Of course, that means I'll never see my child again."

Hermione closed the folder and set it in front of her. "What does any of this have to do with me?" she inquired icily, sure that Astoria wasn't speaking to her out of the goodness of her heart.

Astoria's mouth hung open at these words. Never would anyone expect such disregard from the likes of Hermione Granger. She stood, balking at the uncaring brunette. "I thought you could help me," she said, taking slow steps toward the door. "I thought if anyone could make Draco see some reason, it would be you. I guess you just aren't as wonderful as the entire wizarding world believes."

Hermione scoffed, but went back to her work. As Astoria reached the door, a new tactic sprung to mind.

"He still refers to you as the enemy," she said clearly, eying the brunette bent over her papers. A quick smile appeared on the blonde's face as Hermione's head snapped up, but she quickly resumed a more serious expression.

"Excuse me?" Hermione squeaked.

Astoria sighed sympathetically and neared the chair she had recently vacated. "I don't know why he said it, maybe it was to get back at me. But still, he said he'd rather leave Cass with you, his enemy, than with me. If I were you, I wouldn't invest too much in this 'relationship.' He's too untrustworthy; you deserve better."

Deep down, Hermione knew the other woman was lying to her. She truly wanted to believe that the Draco she had known for the last two months was a different man from the one she had encountered during her Hogwarts years. Astoria wasn't to be trusted; Draco had been emphatic about that. But he too was a Slytherin. They were cunning, deceitful, untrustworthy. Perhaps Astoria had a point about him, too.

Hermione's eyes were trained on the desk, unfocused on the papers in front of her. "She called you mummy that day Draco and I fought." Her head snapped up.

"I'm sorry," Hermione whispered, noticing the moisture that gathered in the corners of Astoria's blue eyes. She didn't have the heart to mention that Cassie had once called her the same name.

The blonde shrugged uncaringly. "I'm sure you'd be a better mother than I've been."

"I never wanted to replace you, Astoria. You're her mother, no matter who Draco is with, you will always get to be her mother. You're lucky. She's an amazing little girl."

"Thank you," Astoria said sadly, wiping away tears.

Hermione sighed softly, stood up, and moved around to stand in front of Astoria. "I'll talk to Draco. I promised you I would help, and I'm keeping my word."

Draco ambled down Diagon Alley with Cassie seated on his shoulders. He couldn't control the smile on his face, no matter how hard he tried.

"Daddy, wanna go to the Weasleys'," Cassie said, kicking her feet. Draco grabbed her swinging ankles to avoid bruising. "Weasleys', Daddy, Weasleys'."

"Maybe later, baby girl," Draco said, continuing on his way to his destination. The jewelry store was only a block away, but Draco couldn't get there quickly enough.

"Ice cream, Daddy?" Cassie asked sweetly, cupping her hands beneath his chin to raise his head.

"Maybe later," he said again as they reached the store. "Duck your head." They entered, surrounded by glass cases full of sparkling jewelry.

"Pretty, Daddy," Cassie said in awe, her blue eyes widening as she turned her head from side to side.

A salesman hurriedly made his way over to Draco, a slight sweat beginning to appear on the old man's forehead. "Mr. Malfoy, so sorry," the man said hurriedly. "Had I known you were coming, I would have had things ready for you."

Draco reached up and removed Cassie from his shoulders, holding her securely in his arms. "It's alright," he replied calmly. "This was kind of a spur of the moment visit. Now, I'm looking for a ring."

The nervous man scuttled over to a display case. "What did you have in mind, Mr. Malfoy?"

Draco perused the case, looking at diamond after diamond, but nothing truly caught his eye. "Hmm, I don't know," he said when the salesman held up a three carat diamond. "What do you think, Cass?"

The little girl wrinkled her nose. "I'll take that as a no," Draco said, laughing at the expression. They continued to look on in silence until Cassie squealed.

"That one, Daddy," she declared, pointing at an emerald cut diamond set in platinum. Draco looked closer and agreed.

"Very good, Mr. Malfoy," the nervous man replied. "Would you like any engravings or enchantments placed on the ring."

Draco looked at the ring once more, holding it up to the light. "I wonder, would it be possible to add two stones, small ones, on either side of the diamond?"

The salesman nodded, extending his hand to take the ring from Draco. "Of course, sir. Anything for our best customer." Draco thanked him, left a down payment, and wandered back out to Diagon Alley. It was soon, probably too soon, to buy an engagement ring. Hermione was practical, she might turn down his proposal. But he had to try. Despite the rocky road they travelled down during their school years, he could not envision his life without Hermione Granger in it. He loved her, and though that thought terrified him, he wanted the world to know.

"Weasleys', Daddy!"

Draco growled as he was snapped out of his internal monologue. "What is with you and the damn Weasleys?" he muttered.

"You said a bad word," Cassie admonished.

Draco hung his head in mock shame. "I am a terrible father," he bemoaned. "I should really just give you away." He looked around and saw the familiar face of Blaise Zabini nearing them. Draco quickened his steps until he was sure his old friend could hear him. "Sir, will you take this child? I've been just awful, and she deserves better."

Blaise scowled. "Stop being a prat, Malfoy," he said. "Come by me a drink."

An incredulous look spread over the blonde's face as he lifted Cassie higher. "I'm not taking my child into a pub," Draco stated adamantly.

The Italian rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on, it's not like she's going to get pissed. Live a little, Malfoy."

Now it was Draco's turn to scowl. "Good seeing you, Blaise," he said with little feeling before walking away.

"Bye, Baise!" Cassie called, waving over her father's shoulder as they continued on their way to the joke shop.

When they arrived home an hour later, Hermione was seated on the front porch waiting for them. Cassie fidgeted in Draco's arms, and he finally set her on the ground before she took off running towards the brunette.

"She made me visit the Weasley store," Draco said disgustedly. "It's just so bright in there. Really, _really_ orange." When Hermione only offered a small, uncomfortable smile Draco became concerned. "Sorry, I know they're your friends. I was only trying to make a joke."

"No, it's fine," Hermione replied dismissively. "It is...orange there. There's just other things on my mind."

Draco opened the front door, allowing Cassie and Hermione to enter first. He hung back, watching them make their way to the living room. His hand reached for the small box in his pocket. The black velvet caressed his fingers, but increased his anxiety. Now was not the time to pop such a question. He followed slowly behind until he reached the sofa, taking the seat next to Hermione.

"And we went to a shiny store," Cassie was telling Hermione animatedly. "It was so pretty, Miney. And Daddy buyed something, but I'm not asposed to say what."

"_Bought_, Cass," Draco corrected her as he received an inquiring look from Hermione. "And I'm not telling you either."

"Daddy, can I go play?" Cassie asked, bored of the adults already. Draco nodded and watched her skip out of the room.

When she was gone, Draco turned his attentions fully to the brunette next to him. He nudged her shoulder, but she wouldn't look his way. "What's wrong?"

Hermione shook her head before tucking her hair behind her ears. She remained seated, looking forward so as to not see Draco's face. "I want...you have to," Hermione sighed, "drop the custody suit."

Draco was taken aback. He stood and began to pace, hoping to reign in his temper. "You didn't think it was such a terrible idea when I suggested it. You know I have to do this for Cassie. Astoria isn't fit to parent. I won't have my child wondering what happened to her mother again when Astoria decides she's tired of playing mummy."

"Maybe if she had a chance and a little encouragement, maybe then she wouldn't feel as if you were trying to replace her," Hermione argued.

Draco stopped pacing and turned to look at her. She had risen to her full height and glowered angrily at him. "Where is this...she talked to you again, didn't she?" Hermione nodded. "I told her to leave you alone. She's going to twist things around to get you on her side."

"I'm not taking sides," Hermione replied exasperatedly. "I'm trying to help someone in need."

"Bloody Gryffindor," he muttered under his breath. "Don't you see that she's going to turn you against me? With you on her side, I have no chance."

Hermione crossed the room and stood in front of him, taking his hands in her own. "I'm not turning against you. I love you."

"I love you too," he conceded.

"Then work it out with her. She wants to be involved, and I think you should let her."

Draco raised their joined hands so he could place a kiss on her left hand. "I'll think about it," he conceded. A devilish smile graced his lips. "But, in return, I need you to think about something as well."

Hermione's heart beat sped up as he dropped her right hand and reached into his pocket. Out came the small, black, velvet box, and she watched as he peeled back the lid.

"Marry me, Hermione," he whispered.

Her eyes lingered on the ring - the diamond in the center, the ruby to the right, emerald on the left. She felt her left hand slip out of Draco's right. Tears clouded her vision as she shook her head. "I'm sorry, Draco. I can't."

And then she was gone.


	14. Chapter 14

Thanks so much to everyone for such a positive response to the previous chapter! I really hope you enjoy this chapter as well!

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* * *

Day 63**  
Rain fell in torrents, and Hermione could sympathize with the dreariness of the outside world. It had been days since she left her flat, afraid of who she could bump into if she ventured out. Her eyes lingered on the container of chocolate chip ice cream that was beginning to melt on the coffee table. She reached for the carton, pulling the spoon out and watching the liquid fall off.

"Don't be pathetic, Granger," she muttered, standing up to refreeze the dessert. As she left the room, she hadn't noticed the flickers of green flame that erupted in the fireplace. When she returned, the teacup in her hand fell to the floor when the well-dressed blonde leaning against the mantle startled her.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," Astoria said, with a wave of her wand to clean up the mess. "I have some news, and you were the first person I wanted to tell."

Hermione gestured toward the couch, taking a seat herself. "What's the news?" she asked, trying to sound excited.

A smile brightened Astoria's blue eyes. "Well, two things actually. First, Draco has decided, that for the time being, he wouldn't pursue this custody arrangement. Oh, Hermione, I don't know what you said to him, but it completely worked. Thank you for helping to set him straight."

Hermione nodded, a slight wince upon hearing Draco's name. "What's the second thing?" she asked, hoping to avoid the Draco topic.

The smile on Astoria's face widened. "I'm pregnant," she said exuberantly.

"But I thought..." Hermione replied, her eyebrows drawing together.

"I know, we didn't either," the blonde agreed. "We've been meeting with this healer for about a month, and she found a treatment that would work. I'm about two weeks along now, I just found out. We've decided to move the wedding up though. I don't want to show too much. So we'll be getting married at the end of this month."

Hermione reached over and hugged her. "I'm so happy for you," she told her. When Astoria pulled back, Hermione noticed the look of concern on her face. "What?"

"Out with it," the blonde said. When Hermione said nothing, Astoria prodded further. "Come on, I know something is wrong. I stopped by the Ministry to see you, and your assistant said you haven't come in all week. There's an ice cream ring on your coffee table. Why are you wallowing?"

"I am not wallowing," Hermione refuted, but refused to look Astoria's way. "I'm not," she added upon seeing the incredulous look on her friend's face.

"Does this have anything to do with the sour mood Draco has been in for the past few days?" Astoria asked, placing a comforting hand on Hermione's arm. "He asked me to take Cassie yesterday, and things just seemed...off."

"He proposed," Hermione replied softly, "and I said no."

Astoria stood and clapped her hands together. "We're going out. You are Hermione Granger, and Hermione Granger doesn't need some man to make her happy. What you need is shoes."

"Shoes?" Hermione asked, remaining in her seat.

"Yes, shoes," Astoria reiterated. "And a shower. Shower, then shoes. Chop chop, Granger!"

Harry Potter arrived at the Three Broomsticks a little after noon, awaiting the arrival of Ron Weasley for their midweek lunch meeting. He took a seat at the bar and ordered a butterbeer. He surveyed the room for his friend, but the trademark Weasley red hair was nowhere to be seen. It was typical of Ron to not arrive on time, Harry reminded himself. He turned away from the door, looking to his right, when he spotted a depressed blonde at the end of the bar. Grabbing his drink, he vacated his stool and opted for one closer to the man.

"Malfoy?" Harry guessed, snapping the blonde out of his stupor.

Draco's head turned sharply to eye Harry disgustedly. "Come to rub it in my face, have you, Potter? I'm sure by now our precious little Hermione has already told you that I'm not good enough for her."

Harry was taken aback. The last time he had spoken with Hermione, things between her and Draco had been great. How, in a week's time, had it dissolved so quickly. "What happened?" he asked, figuring to would be better than asking what Draco had done to screw things up.

Draco rested his elbows on the bar top, his hands supporting his chin. "Piss off, Potter," was the only reply he offered. "I'm in no mood for you."

"If you hurt her, I swear on Dumbledore's grave that I will-" but he didn't get to finish his sentence before Draco pulled out his wand, pulled the other man off his stool, and placed the wand under Harry's chin.

"If I were you, I wouldn't continue that sentence," Draco warned. Harry raised his hands to show him he meant no harm. Draco breathed in deeply, lowered his wand, and took his seat once again. "I love her. She knows I'm not the same self-centered git I was when we were kids. I don't understand why she said no."

Harry took a seat on the stool beside him. "Said no to what?" he asked, knowing he was probably pushing his limits.

Draco's eyes remained trained on the glass in his hands. "I asked her to marry me," he stated tiredly, swilling the contents of his glass, "and she said no."

Harry patted Draco on the shoulder and offered a softly spoken apology. "I've learned a few things about Hermione over the years," Harry said, removing his hand and turning back to his drink. "Number one, she hates when the food on her plate touches something else, so never put her vegetables near anything that could run. Number two, never, and I mean never, discuss Greek mythology with her. She'll never shut up."

Draco groaned, tired of the sound of this man's voice. "Is there any point to this litany? Can I please go back to drinking in peace?"

"Number three," Harry continued, ignoring the interruption, "Hermione is the most passionate person I know. She's also the most thoughtful, level-headed person I know. She's strong, but she'll scare easy when her heart is involved. Give her time, Malfoy. If she loves you too she'll come around. She hasn't known you long enough to just jump into an engagement after a couple of months."

"She's known me since we were eleven," Draco argued.

"Not this version of you," Harry replied, keeping his tone even. "She's only just met the good side of you."

Draco scowled and downed the rest of his drink. It wasn't until the bar stool beside him scraped the floor that he looked up to see Harry vacating it.

"Think about what I said, Malfoy," the raven-haired man said as he walked over to a table occupied by Ron Weasley. Draco nodded and threw down a few coins on the bar. He knew what Potter told him was true, but he didn't care. The selfish, scared to be alone, little boy was still a part of him, and if there was ever a constant in his life it was that he always got his way.


	15. Chapter 15

**Day 70**  
The squeals of laughing children drew her nearer to the park that they had visited so many times in the past. Hermione looked around for the family she sought. Spotting a small girl with flying blonde curls, Hermione quickened her pace, praying with all her might that it was Cassie.

"Hermione?"

She halted, tripping over a small stone in the grass. Luckily she was able to catch herself before the incident became embarrassing. Slowly, Hermione turned to see who it was that called out to her.

"What are you doing here?"

"I...uh...ya know, I...," she stuttered, shielding her eyes from the sun. With a deep breath, she continued. "I missed you."

Draco scoffed. "How nice of you," he retorted facetiously. "How very, very nice of you. Isn't this the point in the conversation where you ask how Cassie is? Oh wait, I've forgotten, you saw her just the other day. Friends with Astoria still, I see."

Hermione hung her head, feeling the color rise in her cheeks. Whether it was from anger or sorrow, she couldn't be sure. "Please, Draco."

He stepped closer, his fists clenched at his sides. "Please, Draco what? I tried talking to you, and you ignored me. My owls came back with unopened letters. My floo connection to your flat was blocked. So, what could you possibly have to say to me now?"

Hermione lifted her head to look Draco in the eye, as usual mesmerized by the pools of gray. She shook her head to clear her mind before sighing heavily. "We've been together, what, maybe a month and a half. In that time we fought and broke up, and then when we decided to be together we said we would take it slow. Getting married is not taking it slow."

"Yeah, I get it," he snapped, stepping around her. He called for Cassie and watched her run over, bypass him, and launch herself at Hermione's legs. Draco scowled and detached his child from her legs before departing for the Ministry offices.

She watched the distance between them grow, and she knew she had to do something. "Draco, stop," she called out, hoping the stubborn man would listen. He kept walking a few paces before stopping. Breathing a sigh of relief, Hermione closed the distance between them. He wouldn't turn to face her, so she stepped around to stand firmly in front on him. "Could we, maybe just this once, try to handle the situation like adults?"

A bored expression ghosted over the blonde's face as he shifted the little girl in his arms. "We broke up," Draco replied nonchalantly. "What more is there to discuss?" He attempted to leave once more, but Hermione had a good grip on his shirt sleeve.

"I don't want to break up," she told him sadly, tightening her hand around the fistful of shirt. "I like what we had - have, and I don't want to lose that. If...if not being friends with Astoria means that I get to keep you, then I'll do it. I'll stop making plans with her, and I'll stop talking to here. I won't even speak her name. Just, please, Draco." When she had finished saying her piece, she glanced up at his expressionless face. It hurt more to see no emotion than if he had sneered and called her a mudblood. Not willing to give up any more of her dignity, she walked away.

"Do something, Daddy," Cassie urged, kicking him in the back.

With a groan, Draco called out to her retreating form. "Do you think we could talk about this somewhere a bit more private?" he asked when she turned slightly back to look at him.

"I guess," she replied with a noncommittal shrug. Hermione expected him to ask her to meet at his house, but she was surprised when he began to walk with her back to her office. The lift ride was quiet, bordering on awkward. When they arrived at her floor, Hermione exited first with Draco and Cassie following closely behind. Hermione received a questioning look from Laura as they passed, to which Hermione could only shrug in reply. Draco immediately grabbed a few sheets of paper and multicolored highlighters, and set them on the floor near Hermione's desk. He set Cassie down near them, politely asking her to remain there and not interrupt. Then he moved over to the sofa, beckoning Hermione to join him.

"So, what do we talk about?" he wondered. His hand reached forward to where Hermione's rested on her leg, but he withdrew it just as quickly.

"I don't want to get married," she stated. Upon seeing the look of dejection on Draco's face, she added, "Yet. I just think we're young and still new to each other. There's no reason to rush into marriage right now. I love you and want to be with you, but we were supposed to take it slow, remember? For Cassie's sake?"

A mirthless laugh bubbled up in Draco's throat. "Ya know, the other day she asked me when you could be her mummy. Cass loves you, probably more than she loves me."

"I don't think that's true," Hermione interjected softly, taking his hand in her own.

With a small shrug, Draco continued. "As for Astoria, as much as Cassie loves her, she's not good enough for my daughter. I can't bring myself to trust her. And not just trust that she won't run away again. Her motives for befriending you scare me, Hermione. You're sweet and trusting, and she knows that if she can get you on her side, she'll get me to do whatever she wants. Like dropping the custody suit."

"You think she's using me?" Hermione asked, genuinely concerned.

Draco nodded. "She's pretty good with getting people to trust her. No doubt she's told you horrible things about me. Perhaps she might have let it slip that I referred to you as my enemy?" Hermione confirmed his suspicions, a frown pulling at the corners of her mouth. "It was meant facetiously. Obviously I don't still see you that way."

"Obviously," Hermione mused, letting a grin settle. Her eyes glanced over to Cassie who remained quietly, contently coloring by her desk. "Draco, are you sure Cassie is fine with us? I mean, it wasn't that long ago that you broke up with me because she was unhappy with our relationship."

Draco smiled, caressing her cheek with his free hand. "I told you she asked that you be her mother. How much more okay do you want her to be?" Hermione, in reply, scowled and moved away from his hand. He ran the hand through his hair and exhaled. "The last time you and Astoria were out with Cassie...when she came home something was off."

Hermione's brow furrowed. "What do you mean 'off'?"

He glanced behind him to wear Cassie sat, scribbling away on her paper. "Has Astoria said anything to you?" Hermione was confused, unsure where the conversation was going. "I mean, I know she talks to you, but has she said anything relevant to Cass?"

Hermione thought back over their conversations. "She's pregnant," she pointed out. "I wasn't aware that Cassie knew though. Do you think that was it? Maybe she doesn't want a sibling."

"Yeah, maybe," Draco replied.


	16. Chapter 16

Just a little something I wanted to share with my readers - Today I got a bad review. Not just a bad review, a scathing review. This reader (possibly not of this story) left a vague, anonymous review asking me to never write another fan fiction again. It seemed to be the worst thing she (I'm guessing) had ever read. Clearly, someone's never read Thomas Paine's _Common Sense_, because holy repetition, Batman, on that one. But I started to think, maybe this person has a point. Maybe my stories aren't that great. Maybe I should stop writing. I could post the last couple of chapters I have for this story, and sail off into the proverbial sunset. Then I said to myself, in 24 years you've never done something just because someone begged you. Why start now? I like writing, I enjoy writing, and from what I've read most of you seem to like my stuff too. So I'm going to keep doing it because I like it. Just like I like eating ice cream for dinner (because my mom always told me not to.)

So, rant over. Hope you enjoy. And if you don't, that's cool too.

**

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Day 80**  
A calf-length, soft pink dress hung on the closet door. Hermione paced in front of it for several minutes, debating putting it on to go to Astoria's wedding. She had offered to take Cassie so Draco wouldn't have to attend, but arrangements had already been arranged for the wedding's flower girl. For a week and a half she had been debating whether or not to attend herself, but still, even as she stared at the dress, she couldn't make up her mind.

"It's open!" Hermione yelled, peering out her bedroom door when someone knocked. She moved back over to her closet and stared at the dress once more.

"Oh, that's nice," Draco commented. Standing behind her, he planted him hands on her hips and kissed her cheek. "That for the wedding?"

Hermione leaned her head back against Draco's chest and shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. "Could be." Her eyes clothes as Draco's lips moved down from her cheek and nuzzled her neck.

"Spend the day with me," he whispered, nipping her earlobe.

Hermione moved her head to allow him more access. "And what will we do all day?" she murmured.

He turned her around in his arms, pulling her small frame as close to himself as possible. His head dipped to capture Hermione's lips. "We could do that," he suggested, pulling away. "Or we could spend the day shagging."

With a laugh and a shake of her head, Hermione pulled away. "Or we could spend the day in Hogsmeade. Shop a bit, get some sweets at Honeydukes. I'm sure Cass would love a treat when she comes home."

"I like my idea better," Draco whined. He flopped down on the queen-sized bed as Hermione disappeared into the bathroom with a change of clothes in hand. His eyes were still clothes when he felt her weight lay down on top of him. Draco smiled and wound his arms around her waist to hold her to him. "Carrying out my idea, I see."

Hermione pressed her lips softly to his. "Time to let go now, sweetheart," she breathed against his lips. She reached behind to detach his hands from her waist and pushed herself off of Draco.

With a groan, Draco pushed himself up on his elbows and eyed the dress. "You should wear it," he said. Hermione turned and followed where his finger pointed. "I'll dress up too. It'll be fun."

An hour later, Hermione and Draco strolled through Hogsmeade Village hand in hand. It was the first sunny day London had experienced in weeks, and people were out in droves.

"We look silly," Hermione opined, glancing around them. "People are staring."

"People are staring because we are the best looking couple in London," Draco disagreed. "In fact, probably the best looking couple in England. On the entire continent of Europe."

"Quite the active imagination you have there, Mr. Malfoy," Hermione replied with a laugh. "Someone's been palling around with three year olds for too long."

They passed by shops and old acquaintances, waving as Hagrid and Professor McGonagall entered The Three Broomsticks. "They don't seem at all surprised to see us together," Draco commented.

"Probably more curious about the way we're dressed," Hermione muttered. Draco quirked an eyebrow and asked her to repeat her grumblings. "Love you," she replied with a great smile on her face.

"Well, I'm pretty sure that wasn't what you said," Draco retorted. They walked along silently, clasped hands swinging between them. Hermione couldn't help but take in Draco's tuxedoed appearance. When he caught her looking he smiled. "Sometimes, when I take Cassie out, she likes to dress up. Sometimes it's fancy outfits. One time she decided to dress like a cat, and when the ears began to bother her, guess who wore them."

Her free hand flew to her mouth to stifle the side splitting laugh she feared might come. The Draco Malfoy she had grown up with would never have done anything to humiliate himself. He had always been the type to be seen in only the best. It defied her imagination to picture Draco Malfoy, Slytherin prince, former Death Eater, parading through town with a pair of cat ears mussing up his perfectly coiffed blonde hair.

"You do crazy things to keep your kids happy," Draco defended himself, squeezing her fingers to show he wasn't upset that she laughed. They wandered the village for two more hours, buying sweets, trying on dress robes, and ending their trip with a butterbeer at The Three Broomsticks.

Hermione dug through a bag on her lap from Zonko's joke shop, finally retrieving the cat ears she had bought. "Are you picking up Cass tonight?"

Draco noticed the ears in her hand, but his mind went someplace else. "What did you have in mind?" he asked suggestively.

"Crashing the wedding," Hermione replied, a devilish smile on her face.

The gardens were enchanted to be warm and ambient. The small reception hall just off the garden was packed with witches and wizards revelling in the excitement of the Pucey wedding.

Cassie Malfoy was not one of those people.

The music was too loud, she little girl knew no one but her mother, and she hadn't liked her dinner. When Adrian had asked that she dance with her new father, Cassie had yelled that he would never be her father. She already had one, and she liked him better. Aghast and embarrassed by her outburst, Astoria had ordered her to sit at the head table and not get up unless told she could. She stared at the happy, dancing people with a bored expression on her face. A piece of cake sat in front of her, but Cassie had no desire to eat.

Hands covered her eyes, causing Cassie to shriek. "Guess who?" the humorous voice behind her said. Her small fingers peels away the hands, and whoever was covering her eyes allowed it.

"Daddy!" she squealed, turning to stand on her chair. He picked her up, spinning her around as she giggled.

"Miney's here too," he informed her when the spinning stopped, "and she bought you something that I think would compliment that dress of yours." Hermione moved in closer, producing the cat ears. Cassie made a grab for them, slipping them on her head.

"Perfect," Hermione declared, adjusting the band behind Cassie's ears.

At that moment, Astoria stormed up to the table to demand an explanation for their presence. "You just can't let me have her for one day, can you, Draco?" she added before letting him speak.

Draco opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Hermione jumped in. "It was my idea, Astoria," she replied sweetly and calmly. "I felt bad about missing the ceremony, so I talked Draco into coming to the reception for a little while."

Astoria pursed her lips and turned her attentions away from Hermione. Her eyes locked on Draco. "She was sitting there for a reason."

Draco sneered and held his daughter closer. "Did it have anything to do with you ignoring her?" he wondered aloud.

"She's been rude," Astoria spoke through a tight smile as people passed by, offering their congratulations. "Besides, you were supposed to be here so someone could keep an eye on her. Did you really expect me to do that at my wedding?"

Draco lowered Cassie back down to her chair. "Did you really expect me to come to the wedding of my ex-fiancee?" he retorted.

While they argued, Hermione held out her hand to Cassie. "Let's go get some dessert, sweetheart," she offered, removing Cassie from the fray. As they walked to a buffet table lined with trays of cookies, Hermione glanced back to see Draco and Astoria exit the reception hall. With a plate in hand, Hermione lifted Cassie up to see the assortment, instructing her to take as much as she wanted. As Cassie filled the plate, Hermione's eyes nervously glanced to the now closed doors knowing their was a heated argument taking place on the other side. When Cassie was satisfied with her selection, Hermione took the plate and carried it over to an empty table that allowed her to keep an eye on the door.

"Miney?" Cassie asked, taking a bite of a chocolate cookie, "why can't you be my mummy?" Hermione's eyes widened at the directness of the question, unsure how to reply. She didn't have to though, because at that moment the door flew open and Draco marched over to the table.

"We're going now," he declared, his face red with anger. "Cassie, get your things together."

Hermione waited until the little girl was out of earshot. "What happened?" she whispered, standing up. She reached for one of Draco's clenched hands, unfurling the fingers.

"I'm tired of dealing with her," Draco said, trying to regain his composure. Anger still coursed through him, and not just for Astoria. Part of him was a bit mad that Hermione had even deigned to suggest they go to this disaster of a wedding. He breathed in deeply, counting to ten in his mind. The control this muggleborn witch had over him was a new and startling concept for Draco, and he wasn't sure he approved. Taking another breath, sure that he was calmer now, Draco spoke again. "She finally told me she's pregnant. Pucey's family bought them a house in Italy. She's decided Florence would be the perfect place to raise their little brat."

Hermione took the information in. "What does this mean for Cassie?"

Draco's gaze fell on Cassie who was making her way back to them. "It means she's signing the custody papers tomorrow morning. It means Astoria will be out of her life again."


	17. Chapter 17

**Day 87**  
The lights were out and the shades were drawn. The sun didn't dare to leak through and disturb the darkness. Draco had been holed up in the dark room for about a day. When he received word from the hospital that his father had passed in his sleep. The first thing he had done was owl Hermione to ask her to watch Cassie. Then he owled his mother to ensure that she had heard the news. Finally, he locked himself in his bedroom. For hours he stared at nothing. When Hermione knocked on the door to make sure he was alright, he ignored her. He couldn't remember when he had put himself to bed, but he awoke under the blankets.

He lay under the blankets staring at the ceiling in a daze when he heard the doorknob rattle.

"Let Daddy sleep, sweetie," he heard Hermione say softly before the rattling stopped. Draco pulled the covers over his head and fell asleep. When he awoke to the same rattling he had little idea what time it was, and little desire to know.

"Daddy?"

Draco shot up in bed and threw back the blankets before sprinting to the door. He undid the locks and opened the door to reveal Cassie, tear tracks on her round cheeks. He picked her up, cradling the little girl in his arms.

"I was scared, Daddy," Cassie cried, clutching the collar of the button down shirt he had put on the morning before.

"I'm sorry, baby," he whispered, kissing her forehead. "I'm sorry."

Hermione rounded the corner exiting the kitchen with a bowl of food in hand. Draco turned his head when she appeared, offering a sad smile as he hugged Cassie closer. "You need to eat," was all she said, holding up the bowl. He nodded in agreement and went back into his bedroom. Hermione followed, watching as he carefully reclined against the headboard with Cassie still in his arms. He shifted her to cradle in his left arm and reached with his free hand for the bowl.

"Maybe you should put her down," Hermione suggested. "Just for now."

Draco shook his head and extended his hand further. She acquiesced and sat beside him. She watched as he ate quietly, occasionally feeding a bite to his little girl.

"Where did this come from?" Draco asked hoarsely.

"Mrs. Weasley brought it over this morning while you were sleeping. She wasn't sure what you would like, but I figured anything would be fine for right now. She said she's more than willing to make something else though."

Draco shook his head again. "This is perfect," he said, taking another mouthful of stew. When he was done he put the bowl to his side and sighed. "Have you, umm, has my mother been in contact at all?"

"No, I'm sorry," she replied, resting her hand on his leg. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Just lay with me for a little while," he said.

Hermione wasn't sure when she had fallen asleep. She had gotten little rest the night before as she calmed Cassie and tried to get Draco to talk to her. After receiving an urgent owl, Hermione had rushed from her visit at the Burrow to be with him. The note mentioned nothing of the reason why she was needed, just that she was needed.

The incessant knocking at the front door seemed to only awaken her, as she glanced up at a peacefully sleeping Draco before checking on Cassie. She slipped out of Draco's arm, laying it across his stomach. The knocking intensified as Hermione padded barefoot down the hallway towards the door.

Hermione recognized the woman on the other side as soon as she opened the door. "Mrs. Malfoy," she breathed sympathetically. "I'm so sorry for your loss."

"Where's Draco?" she asked, pushing her way into the house. Hermione watched as the older woman's head turned, taking in the toy cluttered living room around her. Hermione stepped around her to lead her to his bedroom.

"He's been asleep for a little while," she told her, "but I'm sure he won't mind being woken up to speak with you." They reached Draco's closed bedroom door, and Hermione hesitated a moment before opening it. "He was asking for you before," Hermione confided.

Mrs. Malfoy nodded, tucking a rogue lock of blonde hair behind her ear. "He and his father were never very close. I wish I didn't have to say the same for us." Hermione opened the door and allowed his mother to pass through first. She watched as she made her way over to the bed before closing the door again. Hermione wandered out to the living room to give the Malfoys their privacy. As she straightened up Cassie's toys, she caught sight of the blonde-haired rag doll Cassie had named Toria, after her mother.

"I don't want that anymore."

Hermione looked up to see Cassie standing in the archway, her blonde curls tousled and her thumb in her mouth. Hermione tossed it playfully over her shoulder and beckoned Cassie over. She knelt down and the little girl moved in for a hug.

"Grandma and Daddy were crying," Cassie said sadly, resting her head on Hermione's shoulder. "Sometimes when I'm sad, Daddy give me a sweet. Can we do that, Miney?"

"Sure, sweetie," Hermione replied, picking her up. They made their way to the kitchen where Cassie kept her stash of Honeydukes candy. The little girl selected a piece and Hermione put her down to deliver it to her father. At that moment, the door to Draco's room opened and closed. Two sets of footsteps went in different directions as Draco approached the kitchen. Cassie handed the treat to him, receiving a small smile of gratitude as he accepted it.

"Did Gramma leave?" she asked, waiting patiently to sit on her father's lap once he removed a chair from the table. Draco nodded, resting his head against Cassie's soft blonde hair. Hermione placed a mug of tea in front of him and took a seat.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" Hermione asked quietly.

Draco's gaze settled on Hermione, taking in her tired appearance. He shook his head and offered a small smile. "Maybe you should go home," he said with a yawn. "You look like you haven't slept in awhile."

Hermione waved a dismissive hand. "I slept earlier. I'm fine. Now tell me what I can do for you."

He looked down at Cassie to see that she had fallen asleep on his shoulder. "I need to put her to bed," Draco replied. "Will you stay tonight?" Hermione nodded as Draco stood, adjusting the sleeping girl in his arms. He exited the kitchen and slowly made his way to Cassie's room. When he returned, Hermione was standing in the archway of the kitchen waiting for him. He wrapped his arms around her, breathing in deeply her floral scent. "I love you."

"I love you too," Hermione replied automatically. Draco's lips were upon her own in seconds. When his hands toyed with the hem of her shirt Hermione pulled away. "Draco."

"Please," was all he said. His gray eyes held sorrow and passion, a loving need for her. "Please," he said again. Her hand rested on his cheek, stroking the rough stubble. With a small nod of her head, she lowered his lips to hers once more.


	18. Chapter 18

Once again, thank you to everyone who's read my story and enjoyed it. I actually finished writing the story last night, so over the next few days I'll get the chapters posted. I always feel a bit sad when I finish a story. Guess I'll just have to come up with another one. Today's a pretty good work day for writing as the entire management crew is out of the office. Oh happy day!

**

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Day 108**  
"Come on, Mione, how was it?" Ginny asked for the tenth time as they set up party decorations in Draco's backyard. "You tell me weeks ago that you and Draco finally, ya know, and now you won't even give me details."

Hermione laughed. "It's really still none of your business," she replied. "That table needs cups, if you wouldn't mind."

Ginny followed her directions, placing the pink and yellow cups at each place setting. "How'd you talk Draco into throwing a birthday party? Did it have anything to do with-" Ginny raised her eyebrows suggestively.

"Don't be crass," Hermione admonished. "It's Cassie's birthday. She deserves a party. I mean her mother left and her grandfather died. She needs a little happiness."

"How did you talk Malfoy into throwing a party for fifteen four year olds?" Ginny asked with a laugh.

Hermione shrugged. "I have my ways."

"You dirty girl," Ginny said with a laugh of approval. They continued to set up as Ginny pestered Hermione for details that the older girl refused to give. An hour later, Draco and Cassie came home to find their yard decorated in pinks and yellows, as Hermione finished the warming charms. He set Cassie down, and immediately she ran over to the cake.

"This looks great," Draco murmured, slipping an arm around Hermione's shoulders and kissing her cheek. "Thanks for doing this."

Ginny looked affronted. "I helped too," she pointed out.

Draco turned to look at the sulking redhead. "Yeah, I'm not kissing her," he told Hermione, earning him a slap to the stomach. "Hear me out. One, Potter will kill me. Two, you'll kill me. Three, she would probably kill me too."

"You forgot about my brothers," Ginny replied, trying to hide the smile that was being to form on her face. "It's fine, Malfoy. A thank you would be enough."

"Thank you, Ginny, for helping with the party," Draco said sincerely, bowing his head to her.

Ginny accepted the gratitude, and once Malfoy was out of hearing range turned to Hermione. "Have I died and gone to heaven?" she asked, pinching herself. "Because any world in which Draco Malfoy thanks me has to be heaven."

The party was underway within an hour. The backyard was packed with small children running around and playing games. Adults, the parents of the invited children and friends of both Draco and Hermione, lined the perimeter to keep a better eye on the hyperactive tots. From where Draco stood he could see Hermione disappear into the house.

"Keep an eye on the kids for me," he said to Ginny before slipping inside as well. He followed a few feet behind her as she walked through the kitchen, down the hallway, and into the living room. She parted the curtains, but he couldn't be sure what she was hoping to find. A dangerous smile crossed his face as he quietly walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. Breathily, he asked, "What are you doing?"

Hermione gasped and turned around in his arms. "Draco, you scared me. Don't do that!"

"Looking for someone?" He asked, pulling back the drapery to see what she had been looking at.

Hermione smiled. "Yes, I invited the Weasley twins. There just wasn't enough orange at this party."

Draco groaned, tightening his arms around her waist. "I like it in here. Nice and quiet." Hermione gave a small murmur of agreement. "Did you do what I think you did?"

She leaned back in his arms. "What do you think I did?" she asked as a smile graced her lips.

"Did you invite Astoria?" With a sheepish nod, his question was answered. "I swear you're only getting your own hopes up. Cassie seems to have given up on her."

"Draco, she keeps calling me mummy," Hermione replied with a sigh, as she moved out of his arms. "I'm not her mother. She already has one."

"One who doesn't want her," Draco responded, keeping his voice down. "You love her. You've proved that time and time again. Yes, genetically, you aren't her mother, but you've been a mother to her."

"She shouldn't be confused about this."

"She's not," Draco argued. "She knows who her mother is. But who's the one throwing a birthday party for her?"

When she didn't respond, Draco began to walk away. She reached for his arm as he brushed past her. "Wait," she said, and he stopped. "I'm sorry. Let's just try to have a little fun. All of these kids will be gone in an hour, your Mum is taking Cass for the night, and we'll have the house all to ourselves."

Draco drew his arms around her waist and kissed her tenderly. "I love you," he murmured against her lips.

"Gross! No kissing."

Draco and Hermione both turned their heads to see Cassie standing in the doorway.

"Can we help you?" Draco asked with a laugh.

Cassie approached and handed over a note. "Auntie Ginny told me to give this to you, Daddy. A pretty owl dropped it off."

Draco pulled away from Hermione and accepted the note. He tore open the envelope to read the contents. A scowl settled on his face as he finished. "Sorry, baby, but Grandma can't take you tonight." With that he balled up the letter and tossed it into the fireplace.

Cassie face lit up with excitement. "Does that mean I get to stay with you tonight, Daddy?" she asked as Hermione lifted her up in her arms.

"Looks like," Draco replied, seeing all of his adult plans with Hermione going down the drain. "Can you go play outside please? Miney and I will be out in a few minutes."

Hermione pressed a kiss to the little girl's cheek and set her back on her feet. They remained silent until they heard the backdoor close. "My mother has departed for their chateau in France. As is the Malfoy way, she halfheartedly sends her deepest regrets that she will be vacationing instead of spending time with her granddaughter."

"She just lost her husband, Draco. She's grieving."

"I don't think she is. She seemed...relieved," Draco admitted. "I might have been too. My father was a cold, cruel man. I believe that at one time he loved my mother, but then the Dark Lord came to power and his love shifted. It drove him crazy, his search for Voldemort after Harry vanquished him. Even after the war, he was still obsessed. I'm pretty sure Cassie was the only person he ever really, truly loved.

"Anyway, we should get back outside," Draco finished, kissing Hermione's forehead. She watched him leave as tears stung her eyes. Every word he spoke, she couldn't help but believe. And that made her sadder than anything else.

She took a few minutes to collect herself before rejoining the party. Everyone was gathered around the cake as they sang Happy Birthday to Cassie, who was hoisted up in her father's arms. Hermione hung back with Ginny, who wrapped her arm around Hermione's shoulders as they sang.

Hours later, after the guests had left and Cassie had a bath, Draco sat by her bedside as the newly four year old girl fell asleep.

"Did you have a good birthday?" he asked, smoothing her hair away from her face.

Cassie nodded and yawned. "The bestest." Draco smiled as she clutched the little pink rabbit Hermione had given her. It had been a Weasley shop purchase, and would change colors as Cassie saw fit. "Where's Miney, Daddy?"

Draco ran a hand through his hair before admitting she would be in soon to say good night. Leaning forward in his chair, he spoke, "But you and I need to have a little talk first." He waited until he had her full attention, and continued. "You know Miney isn't your mum, right? You've already got one."

"I know that," Cassie grumbled, holding her stuffed animal tighter.

"But you want her to be?" Draco asked, receiving a nod. He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Go to sleep, Cass." Without another word, Draco returned the chair to the small vanity and shut off the lights, a softly glowing nightlight coming to life in the corner.

Hermione made herself comfortable on the sofa with a book in hand.

"I leave you alone for ten minutes, and you take up with a book."

She glanced over the top of the book with a look of consternation. It was one of her biggest peeves to be interrupted while reading. Draco stood in the doorway with a smile on his face and his arms casually crossed over his chest.

"I'm starting to think you love your books more than you love me."

She lowered her eyes back down to the page. "Books don't talk back." A floorboard squeaked under the weight of his feet, and her concentration on the book was gone. The couch gave way as Draco sunk down into the cushions. Soon, the book was gone, discarded on the coffee table. He reached out an arm to encircle Hermione's shoulders and pulled her into his side.

"Did you ever think we'd go from mudblood and ferret to Granger and Malfoy to Hermione and Draco?" he asked, eyes alight from the flames.

She leaned her head against his shoulder. "No," Hermione replied honestly. "Sometimes it still doesn't seem real. Like tomorrow I'm going to wake up and you'll be repulsed by me again."

"That's not going to happen," Draco whispered, kissing her head. They sat in silence, eyes focused on the fire, wrapped up in each other's arms. It was the textbook version of a perfect moment, Draco thought. He tried to work up the nerve to propose again, but the fear of rejection clouded his courage. "Can I ask you something?"

Hermione tilted her chin up and nodded.

"Do you think you'd ever want to marry me?" Nervous energy bubbled in his stomach and he had to look away.

Hermione leaned away from his arm. He felt her soft fingers on his chin, and he turned it towards her. There was a soft smile on her face as she moved her palm up to his cheek. "Some day," she told him.


	19. Chapter 19

**Day 120**  
The days she went to work with her father always made Cassie the happiest. Draco had taken her out of daycare, promising something great would happen that day. She chattered on as they made their way to Draco's office.

"I told you, we're not going to see Miney until lunchtime," Draco reminded her when she again asked to see Hermione. He moved through the beginning of the day with a smile on his face, even as Cassie pestered him with this question.

Half an hour before noon, Draco took Cassie up to Hermione's office. He passed through her department, a smile on his face for everyone who said hello. The nervous look on Laura's face stopped him in his tracks.

"She has someone in there, Mr. Malfoy," she informed him as he proceeded towards the door.

"Are you alright?" Draco asked, setting Cassie down.

Laura's eyes darted towards the door before she looked back at the blonde. "She's in there with Astoria Greengrass. Hermione cast a Silencing Charm when she realized we call all hear them arguing."

The smile disappeared as his eyes stormed over. "Cass, stay out here with Laura," he ordered before making his way to the office door.

"No, Mr. Malfoy, please," Laura beseeched him, grabbing hold of the sleeve of his work robes. Draco turned and looked back at the brunette clutching his arm, and decided to oblige her by not interfering. He cast a counter charm so he could hear what the two women said.

Inside the office, Hermione was livid. Before her stood Astoria Greengrass-Pucey with a look of shame etched into her beautiful features. Whether the feeling was genuine or due to the guilt of being caught in a lie was anyone's guess.

"You asked me for my help because you said you desperately wanted to keep Cassie," Hermione reminded her. "You wanted another hand at being her mother. And now? Now you're just picking up and moving to another country? Did you even think about your daughter's well-being at all?"

Astoria stood defensively on the other side of Hermione's desk. She listened to Hermione's rant with her head held high and hands clasped behind her back. What she heard, she knew she deserved.

"Were we ever even friends?" Hermione wondered. "I mean, one minute you were confiding in me, asking me to sort things out between you and Draco. The next, it seemed like you were trying to break us up."

The blonde sighed, seeing an opening in the conversation. "I did want your help," she admitted. "I thought if Draco saw us as allies, then he might think better of me. I'll admit my motives might have been slightly underhanded, but I thought if anyone could reason with Draco it would be you."

Hermione scoffed. "So what changed? You get married and are starting your own family now, and Cassie doesn't exist?"

The expression of guilt disappeared from Astoria's face, to be replaced by one of amused anger. "Draco's made it his mission to erase me from their lives. How the brightest witch of our age never figured that out, I'll never know. I would beware that he doesn't try the same thing with you. Sure he wants you now. You're still shiny and new to him, but given time Draco will dump you just like he does with every witch he fancies."

"You need to leave. Now," Hermione said quietly, mentally counting to ten to keep her cool.

A smirk twitched on the blonde's lips. "You know I'm right," she replied, making her way to the fireplace. She threw a handful of floo powder in and disappeared.

Hermione's head fell into her hands. It was supposed to be a good day. Leave it to Astoria to ruin it. Her words echoed through Hermione's mind. Would Draco move on? Would there really come a time when he wouldn't want her anymore? But Astoria had walked out on them. Perhaps there was a chance that was just Draco's spin on the story.

The door clicked open and Hermione looked up startledly. "Is this a bad time?" Draco asked innocently, allowing Cassie to enter ahead of him.

Hermione shook her head. Her heart beat quickly and she didn't trust herself to speak.

"Something wrong?" Draco inquired, making himself comfortable on the sofa. He kept his eyes trained on Cassie as she unpacked her crayons, but occasionally allowed his gaze to sweep over to the still seated Hermione. He caught the little shoulder shrug she gave in response, and sighed. "Laura told me who was in here."

Hermione blanched. A million and one thoughts ran through her mind. Should she explain Astoria's presence? Should she ask him to confirm her story? Merlin, she didn't want what Astoria had said to be true. Part of her thought to deny it, but Hermione had never been good at lying.

Draco stood and neared her desk, watching as her eyes widened in a mixture of emotions. When he reached her, he held out a hand to her. Gratefully, Hermione accepted and Draco led her back to the sofa. The office was silent as they waited for the other to say something.

Finally, Hermione spoke. "I'm sorry I didn't listen to you about her." Her voice was soft, on the cusp of breaking. A supportive hand reached out for her own, entwining their fingers. "You said she would do this, manipulate me into getting what she wanted."

Draco moved closer and wiped away the tear that slipped down her cheek. Hermione rested her head against his shoulder and sighed. "You like to see the best in people. There's nothing wrong with that," he replied soothingly. "It would have been nice if what Astoria pulled was genuine. Cassie was really starting to come around to her. But that's just not Astoria's way, love."

The weight of her head on his shoulder disappeared as Hermione moved away. He watched as she stood by the window, rain cascading down the glass. It matched her mood as it had so many times in the past. It was a melancholy feeling this doubt she felt in the pit of her stomach. The same familiar, comforting hands settled on her sides as Draco rested his chin lightly upon her shoulder.

"Surely you aren't allowing Astoria to bother you this much," Draco murmured. "What's wrong?"

Twisting in his arms, Hermione looked up into endearing gray eyes. She sighed, realizing that once again Astoria would say anything to paint herself in a more appealing light, even if it was at Draco's expense. "It's nothing," she told him, pulling out of his grasp. "I'm really sorry, but I can't do lunch today. I've got a lot to catch up on here."

Draco nodded, a look of concern ghosting over his features. After placing a kiss on her cheek, he packed up Cassie's things to leave, promising to talk to her later.

"Is Miney okay, Daddy?" she heard Cassie ask as they closed the door behind them.

"She'll be fine, baby," he replied.

Hermione took a seat at her desk once more as a watery smile tugged at her lips. "I'm going to marry that man," she said to herself.

She worked through the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon, churning out reports, signing off on contracts, attending meetings. The rain had stopped hours ago, but Hermione was too busy to notice. At some point during the day, Laura dropped off a package, but Hermione had been too busy to open it. When Laura knocked on the door to tell Hermione she was leaving for the night at six o'clock, Hermione finally put down her quill. That was when she noticed the tag on the box was written in Draco's neat scrawl. She opened the box to find a note and a long stemmed red rose. The flower was to serve as a portkey, she read from his note. It was set to activate in an hour, but he would not give her any details as to where it was deliver her.

She collected her belongings and stepped into the floo to go to her flat. The minutes passed by too quickly as she prepared herself for the evening. Hastily she showered and dressed, fixed her hair and applied makeup. When she was done, she checked her watch. Two minutes until the portkey activated. She picked up the rose, holding it to her nose to inhale its scent. Before she knew it, she felt the familiar tug in her navel as she was transported through space. Landing gracefully on her high heeled feet, Hermione shook her head to clear her vision.

The night sky was dark with a small smattering of twinkling stars overhead. Hermione recognized the children's park in the distance. At the hour it was deserted. In fact, the area the rose had taken her to was devoid of people. She looked around for Draco, but couldn't find him. Finally she settled on the bench near the playground, _their _bench. It wasn't long until a tall figure approached, carrying something in its arms.

"Sorry we're late." Hermione recognized the voice instantly and smiled. "The little one couldn't decide what color was most appropriate for her rabbit to be."

Hermione stood and walked toward Draco and Cassie, closing the distance between them quickly. "And what color did you decide on?" she asked.

"Orange," Cassie replied with a smile. "It's my new favorite."

Draco set her down on her feet as he spread out a blanket on the grass. With a flick of his wand, lights shone from the tree overhead. A small wicker basket settled itself on a corner of the blanket, magicked open, and set out a bottle of wine and two glasses. He took her hand, and helped her sit down.

"This looks beautiful," Hermione mused, pressing her lips to Draco's cheek. "I've never been here at night. It's so quiet and empty."

Draco shrugged. "It seemed like a good place to bring you." His eyes roamed around, watching Cassie as she made herself comfortable on the bench near them. "Was your day any better after we left?"

It was Hermione's turn to shrug now. "I got a lot of work done," she answered plainly. "I don't want to talk about work though. This is too nice a night to discuss Ministry matters."

A smile twitched on Draco's mouth, the happiness reaching his sparkling gray eyes. "I couldn't agree more." He dipped his head to capture her lips. Before he could fully explore his favorite witch, he heard Cassie's sigh of disgust. Reluctantly, the couple pulled away, turning their attentions to the little girl as she sat down on the blanket.

"Miney, you look pretty," Cassie said. "Doesn't she look pretty, Daddy?"

"Very pretty," Draco responded.

They watched as Cassie climbed into Hermione's lap. The little girl's focus remained on her father as she asked, "When's she gonna be my mummy?"

Hermione's eyes widened, remembering the dream she had had after first meeting Cassie. Draco couldn't have planned it any better. His smile grew until his cheeks hurt.

"Well," he said, reaching into his pocket. He produced a small box, but kept it closed. "I was going to do this before during lunch, but you were so upset that it didn't seem right. I wanted you to remember this as one of the best moments we have together. And I know that you rejected it in the past, but, Hermione, I've never loved anyone quite like I love you. I'm still not sure if I even really deserve you, but I want you to accept my promise to love you forever." He opened the box to reveal the ring he had bought so many months before. "Hermione Granger, will you marry me?"

Tears clouded her vision, making the diamond he presented a sparkling blur. She looked down once at Cassie who shot her a pleading look. She shifted the little girl so she could be closer to Draco. Moving in close, she breathed a "yes" against his lips before kissing him.


	20. Epilogue

So, it's over. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read my story. I appreciate all of the feedback! Enjoy the epilogue!

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Epilogue  
13 Years**  
Cassiopeia Malfoy confidently strode down Platform 9 and 3/4. She was in her last year at Hogwarts School of Witchraft and Wizardry, and had been named Head Girl. This would be her year. Behind her, her father, Draco, pushed her trolley, loaded high with trunks and bags. His wife, Hermione, walked slowly, holding the hand of a small, eleven year old, dirty-blonde haired girl.

The child was terrified as she took in the sites around her - the majestic train, the bustling crowds. She longed to run after her older sister and seek out the comfort that only she could offer. Her grip on her mother's hand tightened as they came to a stop.

Cassie turned to face her family. "Just remember, at school we are not related," she told her sister.

Draco scowled at his oldest child and turned to the small girl beside her mother. He held out a hand to her, drawing her to him. "Don't listen to your sister," he told her quietly, bending down to her height.

"I don't want to go, Daddy," she said softly. "I won't know anyone there."

"That's not true, Lena," Hermione replied, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Uncle Harry's son, James, will be in the same year as you. You may even both get sorted into Gryffindor."

Cassie scoffed, adjusting her green Slytherin robes. She was a step away from rolling her eyes and muttering "Gryffindors" when Draco turned and glared at her. He moved in closely to his daughter so only she could hear him. "I'm two minutes from pulling you out of Hogwarts and having you home-schooled. You are Head Girl, act like it."

"Sorry, Dad," she grumbled. She turned away, taking her trolley with her, and made her way to a small group of friends.

Draco sighed as she walked away, her long blonde hair swaying with her movements. "Remember when she was sweet and adorable?" he asked wistfully. A smile appeared on his face as he glanced at his youngest daughter and picked her up in his arms. "At least I still have my Helena. Even if she will be a Gryffindor like her mother."

Helena shook her head. "I'm not brave enough to be in Gryffindor. I'll probably be a Hufflepuff, and then you'll disown me like Cassie said you would," she replied sullenly, glancing back at the train she desperately did not want to board.

Her father balked at these words. "No child of mine will ever be disowned," he informed her, a frown on his face. He glanced to his left to see Hermione wearing an equally worried expression. "You are just as brave as every other first year boarding this train. It's okay to be nervous. In fact, I'd be scared if you weren't."

"But Cassie wasn't afraid," Helena argued. "Cassie's never afraid of anything."

Hermione laughed and moved closer to the pair. "I'm going to let you in on a little secret that even your daddy doesn't know," Hermione said, glancing around her to make sure no one else was listening. Draco stepped closer so his wife wouldn't have to speak too loudly. "The night before Cassie first went away to school she came into our room and asked that Daddy and I let her stay home. She told me she didn't want to be away from us, that she was afraid of what she would miss when she was gone. It was right after Caelum was born and you were still little, and Cass wanted to be with you two."

Helena cocked her head to the side so as to get a better view of her sister. A scowl settled upon her features as she watched the older girl laugh and flick back her hair. Tucking her own blonde locks behind her ears, she looked away to survey the different families around them. "Do you think a lot of the first years are nervous?" she asked.

"I bet they all are," Draco agreed as he set her down. "James is over there with Uncle Harry. Why don't you go say hi?" He sent her on her way, watching that she made it safely to the Potter family. "I need to have a talk with Cass," he told Hermione, kissing her temple. He strode away with long, confident steps. The three girls around her stopped laughing as Draco approached.

Cassie turned her head and gave him a bright smile. "Hi, Daddy," she greeted him, and for a moment, Draco saw in her the little girl she used to be.

"We need to talk," he said seriously, leading her away with an arm around her shoulders. When they were far enough away from the noise, Draco spoke. "I need you to be nice to your sister. I'm not asking you to give her the grand tour and sit with her at meals. But you know what it's like to be a first year, so go easy on her."

Cassie nodded and agreed to her father's wishes. Draco kissed her forehead and started to walk away. "Daddy, wait," she said. Draco turned and made his way back to her. He noticed his little girl's nervous expression and frowned. "I got this yesterday. It's from Astoria." She handed over a letter and waited as Draco read. His expression darkened as he folded it in half, and then quarters before handing it back to her.

"It's up to you what you want to do," Draco finally replied. "I can't make this decision for you."

"Do you think Mum would be mad if I talked to her?" Cassie asked, glancing around Draco to look at Hermione. A sad smile crossed her face as she saw the woman who raised her laugh and smile at something Harry Potter said.

Draco shook his head. "She loves you, and no matter what you do, she always will."

Cassie looked back down at the folded letter in her hands. She handed it to him. "I don't want to see her. I don't want to talk her. Will you tell her that? I don't think I can. I'll look out for Lena at school if you do this for me, Daddy."

Draco smiled and pulled the girl into his side, kissing her forehead once more. "Ever the Slytherin," he mumbled against her hair. "You don't have to bribe me, little girl. I've always done for you anything you've wanted."

"Thank you, Daddy," Cassie replied with a small smile. She began to walk ahead of him, making her way towards her sister. Draco walked slowly behind her, smiling when Hermione met his eye. "Hey, Lena, why don't you sit in my compartment?"

The little girl's brown eyes lit up with excitement as she hugged her older sister. "Can James come too?" she asked, hoping she wasn't pushing her luck.

"Sure," Cassie replied, taking hold of Helena's hand. "Let's go get seats." The sisters and James Potter made their way to the train after kissing their parents goodbye.

"She'll be alright, right?" Hermione asked nervously after they boarded. "Seven years later and I still worry about Cassie going away. Now I get to add Lena to my list of worries."

Draco looped an arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple. "At least we've got time before Caelum ships off." Hermione's eyes widened in aghast as she slapped Draco's stomach. "Speaking of, we should really relieve my mum of babysitting duties. She's got to be thrilled that there's only one to watch now."

"Can't we stay until the train leaves?" Hermione asked, glancing at her husband with pleading eyes. He acquiesced, standing side by side with the Potters.

Harry stood beside Hermione, an arm around Ginny's shoulders much in the same fashion as the Malfoys. "Remember when that was us? First years boarding the Hogwarts Express? Do you know how awkward it was making my way through Kings Cross with Hagrid by my side?"

The four adults laughed wistfully, each remembering their first train ride to Hogwarts.

"I wonder if James and Lena will have their own Draco to make their lives hell for seven years," Harry mused, glancing from the corner of his eyes at the tall blonde who had become an ally many years before.

"Or a Neville and a Luna," Hermione added with a smile. "Everyone should have a Neville and a Luna. Or a Seamus to blow things up from time to time."

Ginny shook her head sadly. "His eyebrows never grew back after that one nasty potion explosion in your sixth year."

Hermione turned to look at Draco who wore a sour expression. "What's so bad about having a Draco?" he wondered aloud, his eyes trained on the steam engine.

"Nothing, love. Absolutely nothing," Hermione told him, hugging him tightly. The quartet grew silent as children hung out of the windows to wave goodbye once more. The train gave three loud toots as the wheels were set in motion. Minutes later, it was gone. The couples bade goodbye with promises to get together soon.

Draco led Hermione off of the platform. Quietly, both deep in thought, they made their way out of the train station to the nearest Apparition point. They were home seconds later.

"I'll go to your mother's house to get Cael," Hermione murmured, kissing her husband as he settled into his office chair. He nodded his head and waited until she gone to pull Astoria's letter out of his pocket. He read it over once more before pulling a sheaf of parchment out of his drawer. On it he scribbled a quick letter:

_Our girl made Head Girl. Hermione and I are very proud. Cass has asked that you not contact her again. I'm sorry to have to be the bearer of bad news._

He attached the note to the family owl's leg and sent the bird off. His long frame sagged into the leather chair as he watched the owl fly through the bright blue sky. Perhaps, after thirteen years, the letter would be enough to convince Astoria that her daughter had moved on as much as she had. There were times he still felt bad for his former love. Times when he had wished they could have made it work despite them both being in different relationships. But then the manipulations and deceit became fresh in his mind once more, and Draco wished he could do more than just write a letter.

It was half an hour later when Hermione returned home with their seven year old boy, the child the spitting image of his father. Caelum ran over to his father, throwing his arms excitedly around the elder Malfoy.

"Were you good for Grandma?" Draco asked, returning the embrace. Cael nodded enthusiastically before regaling Draco with tales of activities he and Narcissa had taken part in while they were dropping off the girls.

"Can Gramma buy me a broom?" he asked when he finished telling his parents about riding Draco's first broom.

"No," Hermione replied adamantly. "You need to go wash. It'll be lunch time soon." Caelum reluctantly hopped off his father's lap and ran out of the study. Hermione stood and moved over to take the little boy's place. Her arms wound around Draco's neck. "I think he really put your mother through the ringer today. We should probably give her some time to recuperate before siccing him on her again."

Draco laughed shortly before the serious expression returned. Hermione smoothed back his blonde fringe and kissed his forehead. "The evening post came. We got a letter from the girls. Lena's a Ravenclaw." Hermione gasped in excitement. "There's something else though," he added, his tone more serious this time.

"Cass got a letter from Astoria. I think it's finally over with her."

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

Draco produced a piece of parchment. He read, "Congratulations on Head Girl. Please tell Cass I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused. Let her know I will always love her, and tell Hermione how grateful I am for being the mother to her that I didn't know how to be."

"I saw her on the platform," Hermione admitted. "She was putting her twin boys on the train. I didn't see Adrian anywhere."

Draco scoffed. "Perhaps she's gotten a taste of her own medicine."

"Be nice," she admonished. "I was going to talk to her, but I didn't think it would be appropriate."

With a sigh, Draco leaned his forehead against her shoulder. "Probably wouldn't be. But at least it's over now."

"It's over," Hermione repeated.


End file.
